Business of the House

Stephen Doughty Excerpts

Thursday 5th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lansley]

Let me reiterate what I said earlier: my colleagues and their teams are working together well for this purpose. We have robust discussions inside government. Can the hon. Gentleman honestly look me in the eye and tell me that the robust discussions we have inside this Government are worse than the kind of discussions that took place under the previous Government? They are not worse, and the hon. Gentleman knows it. The last Government were riven; this Government are working together as a coalition and between parties in this Government.

[Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/Co-op)]

May we have an urgent debate on the importance of volunteering to our communities and to many local organisations? I understand that you, Mr Speaker, will be attending an event on this very subject in Cardiff this evening. Tomorrow, together with other Members, I will attend cross-party events to support volunteers in our communities for the difference they make to them.

[Mr Lansley]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that issue. Volunteers week, in the first week of June, provides an important opportunity every year to say a big thank you to the millions of volunteers across the UK for their fantastic contribution. We are putting in place measures and funds to grow volunteering opportunities. We have invested £20 million in 40 organisations through the social action fund. That in itself has created opportunities for more than half a million new volunteers. I hope that we will all, as he rightly says, take the opportunity this week to celebrate volunteers in our constituencies.