Oral Answers to Questions

Gareth Snell Excerpts
Thursday 1st November 2018

(6 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Gareth Snell Portrait Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op)
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What significance does the Secretary of State place on the role of the voluntary sector in helping to tackle loneliness in our country? If, like me, he thinks that it is an important role, will he say what discussions he has had with the Department of Health and Social Care and with local government to make sure that commissioners of services now understand that the voluntary sector should be taken seriously?

Jeremy Wright Portrait Jeremy Wright
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I agree with the hon. Gentleman. He may know that part of the responsibilities of Ministers in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will now include attention to issues of loneliness and he will see that, when we announce those who are the recipients of the £20.5 million that I mentioned a moment or so ago, there are a range of different organisations across the country, all of which play a vital part in this and to which we should all be grateful.