MPs to consider proposal limiting Royal Albert Hall trustees' ability to profit from seat sales

A Charity Commission-backed proposal to limit the Royal Albert Hall's trustees from profiting from selling their tickets to events will be considered by MPs following its approval in the House of Lords.

The amendment aims to address this long-standing issue at the Royal Albert Hall (the 'Charity').  Of the Charity's 24-strong managing council of trustees, 19 possess the right to reserve seats for the most popular and expensive concerts and to sell them on for profit.  The Charity's Council determines which tickets at general events may be reserved for the 'seat holders' or the general public, which some have criticised as allowing the Charity's trustees to generate significant profits.

The amendment was tabled by Lord Hodgson with cross-party support at the bill's third reading on 29 January.  It proposes that any decisions made by trustees that may generate additional income for seat holders must be approved by a subcommittee comprised of independent trustees.  In addition, the amendment proposes that any tickets sold by seat-holder trustees or related parties may only be sold through an existing ticket return scheme operated by the Charity's box office.  The box office would resell the tickets at face value less a handling charge, reducing the profits generated by seat holders. 

The Charity Commission's CEO David Holdsworth wrote to Lord Hodgson in support of the amendment, stating: 'The Charity Commission has been and remains clear that the Royal Albert Hall's failure to resolve the potential conflict of interest to date is of significant concern…, I am supportive of the principle underlying the proposed amendment – to address the potential conflicts of interest insofar as they relate to the exercise of the new power in clause 4.'

The bill will now move on to be considered by MPs in the House of Commons. 

Authored in collaboration with Ethan Lees, a trainee at the time of writing.