The Charities Bill has been included in the Queen’s speech. The Queen told the MPs and lords: “Legislation will be introduced to modernise charity law, to develop a vibrant, diverse and independent charitable sector.”

The PFRA was among the first umbrella groups to welcome the return of the Charities Bill, and urged the government to move quickly to bring it into law.

Sue Brumpton, chief executive of the PFRA heralded it as “a great step forward” for the sector, saying: “While the PFRA was pleased that the bill wasn’t rushed through Parliament before the General Election we do feel that early stages of the bill allowed for sufficient scrutiny to allow for fast tracking. What we hope to see now is the development of sensible legislation for fundraising along with comprehensive guidance notes for local authorities, regulators and other partners that will facilitate high quality fundraising while encouraging the public’s trust”

The Institute of Fundraising has also welcomed the bill’s inclusion, saying it was “delighted”, and wanted to see the bill enacted without further amendments or delay. “The Institute calls on Lords and MPs to pass the bill speedily through its parliamentary stages so that this important bill for the voluntary and community sector receives Royal Assent soon,” said Andrew Watt, head of policy and deputy chief executive of the institute.

The call was backed by Acevo, where chief executive Stephen Bubb also called for a quick introduction, saying: "There's been a lot of discussion. Now it's time to just get it on the statute book."

According to reports yesterday based on a leaked memo from the Home Office, the government was planning on fast tracking the bill, with publication in the next two weeks.

The National Lotteries Bill, which will formalise the merger of the Community and New Opportunities Funds into the Big Lottery Fund was not in the speech but was announced by the government alongside it, so may still be enacted this Parliamentary session.