The total number of registered charities in Scotland has risen by 7 per cent to 24,055, according to the Office of Scottish Charity Regulator’s annual report for the year ending March 2016.

OSCR said it expects the total number of charities in Scotland to fall next year as it works to remove charities that repeatedly fail to file annual returns, do not provide public benefit or have ceased to operate. 

The regulator said it received 362 concerns about charities from external sources, an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year. Complaints about the regulator amounted to 19. 

Expenditure for the year was £2.936m against a budget of £2.997m. Most expenditure related to staff, £2.076m.

Reforms

OSCR was created by the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and has said that it has “begun a dialogue” with the Scottish government to consider how the act could be updated. 

The aim is to promote more transparency of charities, provide greater protection for charity assets and improve OSCR’s efficiency. 

OSCR said it does not think it needs new primary legislation.