VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS (Hansard, 6 February 1975)

§ Lord ABERDARE
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord HARRIS OF GREENWICH)
My Lords, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has this responsibility.

§ Lord ABERDARE
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that during the time when we were in Government we had a specific Minister in charge of liaison with voluntary bodies, and this worked very successfully? Would the noble Lord consider whether something similar should exist now? Is he aware that the voluntary bodies themselves are feeling this lack and are not aware, so far as I know, that the Home Secretary has this special responsibility, and are feeling somewhat neglected?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
My Lords, I should be slightly surprised if that was the view of most voluntary organisations, because I spend a great deal of time, and so do officers of the Voluntary Service Unit, in discussion with officers of voluntary organisations. The situation is exactly as it was in the time of the Government of noble Lords opposite, when the noble Lord, Lord Windlesham, was involved. I am responsible for the day-to-day activity in this area, and am responsible to my right honourable friend the Home Secretary. I do not think there is lack of awareness in most voluntary organisations, although inevitably some may be unaware of the 978 existing situation ; and it is helpful that this matter has been raised this afternoon.

§ Lord ABERDARE
My Lords, will the noble Lord consider making a statement at a suitable moment or issuing a report on what is happening in this Unit within the Home Office, to explain to those voluntary bodies that are not aware that this matter is being carefully looked into?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
My Lords, I will certainly have a look at that point. We had a seminar with a substantial number of voluntary organisations only in December to discuss some of the financial problems now facing voluntary organisations. But I entirely agree; we have a responsibility to make sure that we do the best we can to make people aware of our existence, and I will certainly look at that point.

§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONE
My Lords, would it be helpful if the noble Lord added to his title by which he is honourably known as a Minister in this House, the title of, "Minister with Special Responsibility for Voluntary Organisations" so that everybody would know where and to whom to go?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord for that suggestion, and I will certainly draw it to the attention of my right honourable friend. I think it will be a matter to be determined at a rather more eminent level than my own.

Viscount MONCK
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether it is true that the Home Office is responsible for all voluntary organisations? Is not the Department of Education responsible for some?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
No, my Lords. The Question of the noble Lord, Lord Aberdare, dealt with co-ordination, and that is the area for which my right honourable friend the Home Secretary is responsible. There is a day-to-day contact between officers of the Voluntary Service Unit and a network of liaison officers which exists in most of the Government Departments dealing regularly with voluntary organisations.

§ Baroness ELLIOT of HARWOOD
My Lords, may I ask whether Mr. Hart, 979 who I understand is Director of the Unit the noble Lord is speaking of, has responsibility for other Government Departments, excepting only the Home Office, and voluntary organisations which might well be helped by other Government Departments as well?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
No, my Lords, the head of the Unit is responsible in the first place to me. His second responsibility, as I indicated in my reply to the last question, is to keep day-to-day contact with this group of liaison officers which exists at Assistant Secretary level in each of the major social service Departments. That is really his responsibility.

§ Lord LEATHERLAND
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that many of the relationships of these voluntary organisations with public affairs are through the county and local district councils, and that those relationships are most harmonious?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
My Lords, I am glad to hear it.

§ Lord GORE-BOOTH
My Lords, is the Minister aware that voluntary organisations will be very grateful for his explanation? Is he also aware that any announcement will need very careful drafting in the light of various questions, and that this will be attended to?

§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH
Yes, my Lords. It would perhaps be right for me to say at this juncture that I think we have a clear responsibility to make our existence common knowledge through the voluntary organisations which may not know of the existence of this Unit. But I should not leave anyone under any impression that there were very substantial additional Government resources available for the purpose of assisting voluntary organisations; there are not. The funds at our disposal are fairly limited, and at the moment we are applying them to assist some of the most useful voluntary organisations which are suffering quite severely as a result of inflation.