Voluntary Sector (Hansard, 2 March 1998)

§ 4. Mrs. Brinton
What measures he will bring forward to improve the relationship between the Government and the voluntary sector. [30341]

§ Mr. Michael
The Government will strengthen partnership between government and the voluntary sector. We are working towards a compact that will set out the principles that should govern the relationship. I am delighted to have the support of Ministers across the Government for that initiative.

§ Mrs. Brinton
I thank my hon. Friend for his reply, which will certainly be welcomed not just in my constituency of Peterborough but in many constituencies where voluntary organisations are working very hard to combat social exclusion. Can he assure me that the compact will set out exactly what needs to be done in practical terms to make the partnership work and that it will be available to all organisations and not just those that shout the loudest?

§ Mr. Michael
The compact will establish the relationship and the consideration that the Government should give voluntary organisations—and vice versa—nationally and locally. My hon. Friend refers to social exclusion. The priority that the Government are giving the issue touches on the charitable object of many voluntary organisations and there has been a general welcome for the way in which the policy has developed.

§ Sir Brian Mawhinney
Does the Minister not understand that his expressions of support, and those of his right hon. Friend, for voluntary organisations and charities ring hollow? Does he not remember that, in last year's Budget, which was only a matter of months ago, the Government hit charities hard by undermining their pension funds so that volunteers' contributions had to be moved from the doing of good works to bolster pension schemes? If the Minister is serious about supporting voluntary organisations and charities, will he undertake to ensure that, in this year's Budget in a couple of weeks' time, they are reimbursed for that raid on their pension funds?

§ Mr. Michael
The right hon. Gentleman's intervention strikes me as a rather desperate attempt to drive a wedge between the Government and the voluntary sector. He will not succeed because many voluntary organisations find that, after years of trying to pursue their charitable objects under a Government who were not interested in most of their priorities, the present Government share their concern to improve society, so they are working in a totally different atmosphere.