Fergus Ewing MSP has said the Scottish government firmly opposes the return of charity regulation to the Westminster parliament as proposed by the Calman Commission.

The Calman Commission - the body set up in 2007 to review Scottish devolution ten years on - delivered its report last year.

One of its measures calls for charity regulation to be taken out of Scottish hands and given to Westminster.

Ewing said at an OSCR annual meeting this week: “I will find it somewhat mystifying if the UK government pursues the charity law recommendations of the Calman Commission.

“Charity law has never been the same across the UK. How a single definition of ‘charity’ and ‘charitable purposes’ would benefit Scottish charities is unclear.

“The Scottish government remains firmly opposed to such an imposition. In the five years since the passing of the 2005 Act, we have seen increasing public confidence in Scottish charities.”

Elsewhere, Ewing said the Scottish government will publish draft regulations for the Scottish form of a CIC this week.

The SCIO will be the first new legal form of corporate body to be created specifically for charities in Scottish law.