A few days ago I wrote this blog that was focusing on the comment from the SNP for FareShare which was very positive. Then again on Thursday this week the Scottish Parliament was debating here on the headline of “Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1” and one of their SNP representatives used the discussion to promote FareShare. So below is the text he stated that includes FareShare. We can endorse the SNP MP who is John Mason for raising FareShare in Scotland and we clearly need the UK Parliament to raise the theme now. What can we do to persuade UK MP’s to focus on it very soon?

I appreciate the opportunity to take part in the debate. As members will know, I am not currently and have not previously been a member of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, which is the lead committee for the bill, so I have not been involved in taking evidence or preparing the committee’s report. However, perhaps that has some advantages in that I come to it without many preconceived notions. I highlight that I am a trustee of FareShare and have been involved in various charities over the years.

The issue of whether trustees’ names should be in the public domain has been considered by the committee at some length, and it is argued that that requirement will increase transparency and accountability. I note that there has been some concern about that, including from the Faculty of Advocates. I fully accept that there needs to be some right to privacy and agree that home addresses should not be shown. However, it seems to me that the right to privacy must have some limits and should be balanced against other rights and the public’s expectations.