The Act gives the Charity Commission the task of issuing licences for public charitable collections. The Cabinet Office timetable for the Act says this will not come into force until 2009.
"Fundraising organisations ask me every day when they will have the regulation to implement the new Charities Act, and this is not going to be the answer they want to hear," said Megan Pacey, director of policy and campaigns at the institute.
"We urge the Government to invest in the areas of the civil service that can take this regulation forward sooner and thereby maintain and increase public trust in the fundraising sector."
Many key provisions of the Act are not due to start until 2008. These include the public benefit test, the Charity Tribunal and permission in some circumstances for the remuneration of trustees.
