Oral Answers to Questions

Laura Sandys Excerpts

Thursday 21st October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order.

[Laura Sandys (South Thanet) (Con)]

T10. How will the Department impress on local authorities the need to commission as many of their services as possible from the voluntary sector, small business and community groups seriously to deliver more cost-effective, creative and innovative services at the front line?

[Greg Clark]

That is a very good question from my hon. Friend. It is important, as I said earlier, that we do not centralise in the town hall at a time when we are decentralising from the Government. In fact, the chief executive of the voluntary organisations’ umbrella body said that he was highly encouraged by our proposals to entrench these rights for community groups to receive funding from local authorities.