Charities Bill [HL]

My Lords, is the noble Earl sure that he wants to listen to that explanation at this time of day? In any event, let us deal with Amendment No. 87. I am grateful to the Minister for what he has said, but I am also not grateful because, with respect, he did not address the argument. The point about these new merger provisions is that they do two things by the operation of law: first, to see the cessation of charities that merge; and, secondly, the automatic vesting of all their assets in the new charity. In my view, it is a nonsense to declare that this is comparable with any existing arrangements; it is not. It is also grotesquely unfair to the poor old creditor who may know nothing whatever about the merger business. Indeed, if it is not on the register of notification, he would not know in any case. He will suddenly wake up to find no charity to go up against and no assets anyhow. On that basis, I feel that I ought to test the opinion of the House. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 87) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 128; Not-Contents, 152