§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what involvement his Department has with Community Service Volunteers in London; what development of this system he has advocated; and what greater use he foresees for CSV in the social services.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe Voluntary Services Unit of the Home Office co-ordinates the response of central Government departments to CSV and is responsible for the principal Government grant towards the 221W administration expenses of the organisation's headquarters. Individual Departments are responsible for making grants to CSV projects in their particular field.
My Department funds three CSV projects in the health and personal social services fields. One concerns the placing of volunteers in hospitals and the others concern children, placing volunteers in community homes for children and involving the children in these homes in voluntary service to the community. Additionally, under a pilot scheme just starting in five local authority areas throughout the country—two in London—an officer of CSV will work with the social services department to build up intermediate treatment applications of community service work. If these are successful, it is hoped that other local authorities may adopt the system and place in community service children who are in trouble or at risk. There is a need for all kinds of voluntary effort in the social services and local authorities arc encouraged to work closely with voluntary organisations; it is for each local authority to decide, however, how this should be done. So far as CSV is concerned, I shall continue to discuss any proposals from CSV which fall within my responsibility with the Voluntary Services Unit of the Home Office, because any extension of CSV's activities necessarily leads to an increase in their administration expenses.