Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 113 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy, published in August 2018, what steps his Department has taken review the Innovation Partnership model; and what steps his Department is taking to encourage contracting authorities to work directly with partners to research and develop an innovative project or service, including trialling the Innovative Partnership model.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is taking steps to explore the use of Innovation Partnerships procedures, with the VCSE Crown Representative also inputting into this initiative. This includes pilots in government, the first of which, the Hydrogen for Heat Programme run by BEIS, has now commenced. Further updates will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 115 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, whether his Department applies the terms of the Social Value Act to (a) goods and (b) works to account for the social value of new procurement.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DCMS is continuing to work closely with the Cabinet Office to implement a package of measures for the future of social value and procurement. This was set out in the Civil Society Strategy and announced by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington.
This includes a project to extend the application of the Social Value Act across central government departments from services to also include goods and works. Departments will be required to evaluate for social value benefits in the tender process too, providing they do not add complexity or cost to the procurement process, restrict markets or exclude small businesses from government contracts.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what meetings were held between the chair of the Charity Commission and the Garden Bridge Trust before its registration as a charity.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Charity Commission for England and Wales has responded with the attached letter.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Charity Commission in fulfilling its duties in relation to the Garden Bridge Trust.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Charity Commission is the independent regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales. Its duty is to look at the extent trustees are meeting their legal duties and whether charities are complying with charity law
It is not in the regulatory remit of the Commission to examine other issues such as the merits of a project or how it is funded
In 2016-17 the Commission undertook extensive scrutiny of the governance and oversight of the Garden Bridge Trust by its trustees. That case concluded that the trustees were meeting their duties and were acting in compliance with charity law.
The outcomes of that case were published on the Commission’s website in early 2017:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595064/garden_bridge_trust.pdf
The Commission has continued its regulatory oversight since publishing the report. It has seen no evidence to date that the eventual failure of the project was as a result of failings or omissions on the part of the trustees of the Garden Bridge Trust, but is reviewing the final financial statements now available as part of its ongoing regulatory assessment
The Commission has continued to hold the Trust to account as necessary, such as when it was late in filing its accounts.
The Commission has confirmed that it expects the Trust to publishing a full statement of total project costs. Once the Commission has received those documents and, following analysis, it is comfortable that there are no further regulatory concerns, the charity will move to wind up.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 14 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy, published in August 2018, what steps his Department has taken to renew its commitment to the principles of the Compact.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Civil Society Strategy is long term, setting out our vision for government’s work with and for civil society over the next 10 years and beyond. This is an important recommendation in the Strategy. Whilst our resources are currently focused on other priorities from the Civil Society Strategy and on preparing for EU exit, we are exploring options for taking this forward and expect to progress later this year.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 37 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what work his Department has carried out with Nesta, Osca and the Big Lottery Fund on the Good Help programme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government is fully committed to the Civil Society Strategy: it is the beginning of an ambitious, evolving work programme to help build a strong society.
As part of this, DCMS is supporting Good Help as a strategic partner. This includes brokering relationships with other government departments, and supporting Nesta, Osca and the National Lottery Community Fund on developing their work on Good Help in statutory services as part of the Good Help Advisory Board. We are not providing funding, but are acting in a facilitating role.
In 2018 events were held across the UK with practitioners, funders and people who use services to agree what the Good Help programme should focus on. Now Osca delivery partners (Nesta and Osca staff) are working with commissioners, policy officials and foundations to formally design the programme.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 37 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what plans his Department has to support and encourage the sustainability and spread of community organising in the longer term will; and if he will publish those plans.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government is fully committed to the Civil Society Strategy: it is the beginning of an ambitious, evolving work programme to help build a strong society. As part of this, and following the success of the original Community Organisers Programme (2011-2015), we launched the Community Organisers Expansion Programme in early 2017. This programme will train 3,500 more individuals in community organising, across England, by March 2020.
We are currently in discussions with Community Organisers Ltd to determine how best to support the long term sustainability of the training programme, the National Academy of Community Organising and the network of community organisers, so that as many individuals and communities as possible can benefit from community organising training.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 41 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what progress has been made by his Department on designing the £90 million dormant accounts funding to help young people facing barriers to work to reach their full potential.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is fully committed to the Civil Society Strategy. It is the beginning of an ambitious, evolving work programme to build a stronger society.
Removing the barriers that can make it harder for some young people to enter work and reach their full potential is vital to the future prosperity and productivity of our society. As part of the Civil Society Strategy, the Government committed to working with the National Lottery Community Fund to allocate £90 million from dormant bank accounts to a new, independent organisation to tackle this issue. The Founding Chair of this new organisation is being appointed by a nomination panel independent of government, and their decision will be announced in due course.
While this organisation is being set up, the National Lottery Community Fund are allocating £1.2m of the £90m dormant accounts funding to three key areas facing particular challenges in their levels of youth unemployment. Funding will support small, grassroot youth organisations to build their capacity and strengthen local partnerships.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 78 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what work his Department has undertaken with the Charity Commission to explore options for placing that organisation on a secure and sustainable financial footing and ensuring it is adequately resourced to meet future challenges.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Charity Commission performs an important role as independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales. Government officials have regular meetings with the Charity Commission to discuss a broad range of topics, including the Commission’s resourcing.
In January 2018, government increased the Charity Commission’s annual budget by £5m, in recognition of increased demands on its core regulatory functions.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 15 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what progress his Department has made on working with the Big Lottery Fund to use £55 million from dormant accounts to fund a new, independent organisation which will work with partners across the private and social sectors to tackle financial exclusion.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Financial exclusion blights lives and as part of the Civil Society Strategy the Government committed to working with the National Lottery Community Fund, previously known as the Big Lottery Fund , to use £55 million from dormant accounts to fund a new, independent organisation to tackle it. The Founding Chair of this new organisation is being appointed by a nomination panel independent of government, and their decision will be announced in due course.