§ Andrew SelousTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what initiatives the Government have taken to(a) reorganise and (b) simplify access to state funded competitive grant schemes for (i) community and (ii) voluntary groups; [29930]
(2) whether a particular Minister has been given specific responsibility for rationalising and simplifying access to state funding for voluntary and community organisations; [29925]
(3) how the Government will measure the success of their initiatives to simplify access to state funding for voluntary and community organisations; and how progress will be monitored and reported; [29924]
(4) what research the Government have conducted into the administrative requirements on voluntary and community organisations making applications to the system of state funded competitive grant schemes. [29926]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 24 January 2002]: In drawing up the Compact on Relations between Government and the voluntary and community sector in England, Funding Code, the Home Office took note of the report of the Commission on the future of the voluntary sector, published in June 1996, entitled "Meeting the challenge of change: voluntary action into the 21st Century", and provided funding to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to conduct an extensive consultation with the voluntary and community sector and Government Departments.
The study currently being undertaken by the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU) into improving access to regeneration and community funding consulted over 100 bodies and individuals, examined examples of differing administrative requirements imposed on funded bodies; and considered relevant previous research.
The recommendations arising from the RCU's study of regeneration funding are designed directly to simplify access to state funded competitive grant schemes for voluntary and community groups. In addition, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, is also currently reviewing the scope for improving the co-ordination and delivery of state funded grant schemes for the community and voluntary sectors.
The success of these various initiatives will be measured by the numbers and quality of applications received for individual programmes, a reduction in the number of ineligible applications, success in reaching targeted groups, such as marginalised and minority ethnic groups, and in the use made of the website. Monitoring will be undertaken by the departments managing individual programmes. The Active Community Unit is currently devising a common evaluation framework by which the success of simplification of small grants will be measured.
572WThere is no one Minister with specific responsibility for the rationalising and simplification of access to state funding for the voluntary and community sector, although I have responsibility for the Active Community Unit and will be taking a particular interest in this issue.