Concerns that the current review of the Charities Act 2005 could have a negative impact on charities has resulted in an online survey to gather more information.

Lawyers who act for charities are being encouraged to complete the survey, which is being conducted by Dave Henderson and Sue Barker, with support from a consortium of philanthropic trusts.

Mr Henderson and Ms Barker are both members of the Core Reference Group for review of the Act, but say they are conducting the research independently, in their private capacities, with a view to gathering empirical evidence to feed into the review.

The 20-minute survey can be accessed here. The promoters say lawyers and others who act or work for more than one charity should complete the survey more than once, giving the information separately for each charity they work with.

The disquiet over the review is driven by a number of factors. The survey organisers say that while it is a comprehensive review, it is not the full first principles review that was originally promised.

"There is a risk that the review could result in Charities Services increasing their regulatory powers and charging charities to do that," they say.