Ms Madeleine Delaney:

We issued that guidance and note in May because we see it as an issue that charities can struggle with. We see it when they are applying for entry to the register. There is very little we can do other than issue guidance. We cover the issue as part of the webinars and training that we run. It is all about the management of the issue. It is a very difficult area. Sometimes, especially in small charities in rural communities, it cannot be avoided so it is about how it is managed and the transparency around it. Some of them are very good at it. It is about having the conversation, being aware and understanding that the perception of a conflict is as dangerous as an actual conflict. It is one of those areas that charities struggle with as part of overall governance. That is probably because of the nature of people coming on board on a volunteer basis. Often, people will bring in somebody they know. That is how you get new trustees to come on. It may be someone you work with or something like that. They may then be a little bit more uncomfortable talking about it. We just want to make it more normal to talk about it, to build it into meeting agendas and to make it routine. We want charities to have a very good policy that they actually adhere to and keep up to date.