Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the level of resources available to the Councils for Voluntary Services sector to shadow Integrated Care System boards.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has not held any discussions with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) about the level of resources needed by Councils for Voluntary Service to shadow Integrated Care System boards.

Each government department is responsible for considering how the resourcing needs for civil society partners are impacted by policy decisions. As DHSC is responsible for Integrated Care Systems policy, it is for DHSC to decide what, if any role there will be for civil society partners, and whether this requires additional resources.

As the department with overall responsibility for civil society, DCMS regularly brings together other government departments to discuss civil society, with the aim of ensuring that the views and needs of the sector are considered in the development of policy across government.