Shadow charities minister Anna Turley today called in Parliament for more limits on a proposed power for the Charity Commission to give official warnings to charities.

Turley submitted a number of amendments to the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill, which would mean the Commission would have to wait at least 14 days between contacting the charity about its intention to issue a warning and actually doing so. She also said warnings should carry a right of appeal to the Charity Tribunal.

Turley was speaking during the committee stage of the bill, which will provide a number of new powers for the Commission, as well as introducing changes in the law around fundraising and social investment.

Turley echoed calls already made in the House of Lords, and proposals put forward by sector infrastructure bodies and legal experts, who said earlier this month that more restrictions were needed on powers for the Commission.

“We have some concerns about the lack of safeguards in this bill, which we believe could threaten the independence of charities,” she said. “An official warning could have a significant impact on charities. The public issuance of a warning will carry far more stigma than an operational compliance case.

“Failure to comply with a warning will also automatically give rise to a right for the Commission to take further significant protective action, which isn’t the situation with a compliance case.

“This is a fundamental shift in the relationship between charities and the Commission.”

Rob Wilson, minister for civil society, promised that guidance would be produced on official warnings before the Commission issued them.

The amendments were later withdrawn.