The head of the National Trust UK has welcomed the UK government\u2019s decision to exclude charitable and heritage organisations from new legislation through which memberships can be bought, cancelled and possibly refunded. Hilary McGrady, the director-general of the National\u00a0Trust heritage body, which currently has more than five million members, said in a statement: \u201cToday\u2019s decision comes as a huge relief.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UK-wide Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) allows consumers a two-week \u201ccooling-off\u201d period during which they can cancel organisational memberships and receive \u201cproportionate refunds\u201d, according to a statement from the UK Department for Business and Trade.<\/p>\n
The act, which received royal assent under the previous Conservative government, is due to come into force early next year and could have had implications for cultural organisations which have millions of members.<\/p>\n
But a statement from a spokesperson for the UK Department for Business and Trade says: \u201c[Regarding] charitable memberships:\u00a0certain memberships of charitable, cultural and heritage organisations will be excluded from the new rules given the unique role they have in preserving and\u00a0opening up\u00a0access to the nation\u2019s history, landscapes and cultural collections.\u201d<\/p>\n
McGrady added in a statement: \u201cThe government has recognised the significant contribution that membership charities like the National\u00a0Trust\u00a0make to civil society and rightly excluded them from these reforms, which could have cost organisations like ours millions of pounds and hampered our ability to provide public benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The charity Art Fund UK also expressed support for the move, with a spokesperson for the organisation stating: \u201cArt Fund’s National Art Pass membership scheme provides direct funding for our charitable work, supporting museums and galleries across the UK and championing access to culture for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the government’s decision to exclude charitable memberships like these from additional regulation. This is a positive step which will safeguard their sustainability and ensure the UK’s cultural and heritage charities can continue to deliver exceptional public benefit for audiences nationwide.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n