Commenting on the number of people who are going house to house and collecting for good causes Roger Godsiff said: “ In these tough economic times, with a great deal of pressure particularly on charitable organisations, you would not wish to discourage people from giving to worthy causes. However, a number of constituents have complained about the increased persistence of door to door collectors and some are worried as to the authenticity of the people who are actually doing the collecting.
He went on to say: “Collecting for worthy cause’s falls under the definition of a ‘collection for charitable purposes’. The promoter of such a collection would require a licence, issued by the local authority, under the provisions of the House to House Collections Act 1939.
My advice to residents would be that they should ask any caller for evidence of a licence and if such an authorisation is not produced then the resident should contact their local police, the City Council’s Licensing Enforcement Section on 0121 303 9611 or the Director of Regulatory Services, Birmingham City Council on 0121 303 6121 or email:
[email protected].

This article appeared in the December edition of Roger's newsletter 'Postcard from Parliament'