No back door route

Your article on a law firm launching a healthcheck service for charities appeared to make a link between the Charity Commission's review visits programme and 'increased regulatory challenges' (see [2002] Gazette, 5 April, 8).The review visits programme is targeted at charities with income between 250,000 and 10 million, as they represent around half of the sector's income.

While we will be using these reviews as an integral part of our regulatory role, they are not being undertaken as a result of any change in charity legislation or regulation.It is also important for charities to know that the agenda for each visit will be agreed with them in advance - the last thing we want is for the focus of a visit to come as a surprise to participants.

Review visits are intended to recognise and foster best practice in charities, as well as providing guidance on regulatory issues.

They are not investigations by the back door, nor are they intended to trip charities up.

Details of the programme can be found at: www.charitycommission.gov.ukJill Wardle, review visits projects manager, Charity Commission for England and Wales