The head of the National Trust UK has welcomed the UK government’s 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 Trust heritage body, which currently has more than five million members, said in a statement: “Today’s decision comes as a huge relief.”
The UK-wide Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) allows consumers a two-week “cooling-off” period during which they can cancel organisational memberships and receive “proportionate refunds”, according to a statement from the UK Department for Business and Trade.
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.
But a statement from a spokesperson for the UK Department for Business and Trade says: “[Regarding] charitable memberships: certain memberships of charitable, cultural and heritage organisations will be excluded from the new rules given the unique role they have in preserving and opening up access to the nation’s history, landscapes and cultural collections.”
McGrady added in a statement: “The government has recognised the significant contribution that membership charities like the National Trust make 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.”
The charity Art Fund UK also expressed support for the move, with a spokesperson for the organisation stating: “Art 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.
“We 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.”
The heads of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Trust and the Tate warned the UK government last year that the proposed consumer legislation could have sabotaged their lucrative membership schemes.
According to a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade, “a museum would likely fall into the exemption if it” is a charity and it operates “a membership scheme that allows consumers to attend performances, see collections or visit places which are related to their charitable purpose”. The spokesperson adds: “to some extent they will need to consider their own structures to determine if that's the case”.