Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine McKinnell Excerpts

Wednesday 20th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab)]

9. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of third sector organisations by local authorities in delivering public services.

[The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr Oliver Letwin)]

As I mentioned in my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Richard Fuller), the Government believe that the voluntary and community sector has a huge role to play in providing public services. Indeed, our intention is vastly to enlarge the potential for that to occur.

[Catherine McKinnell]

Newcastle city council has reassured me of its commitment to using the voluntary sector, but what will the Minister do to ensure that the severe cuts to local authority funding do not mean that the big society is just an underfunded big con?

[Mr Letwin]

We are extremely conscious of the fact that there may be a gap between when we introduce the new reforms that I described and when the effect of the expenditure cuts is felt. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor will have very much to say on that when he makes his statement, and I would not want to pre-empt what he will say on how we will handle that situation.