Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what grants have been made by his Department to registered charities in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

The Department makes a number of grant payments to non-public sector bodies each financial year to support key policy objectives. This includes grants made to registered charities as well as other voluntary organisations.

In the last year, grants have been made to voluntary organisations, including registered charities as part of:

(a) The Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development scheme. This is a competed scheme where successful applications are funded for up to three years; this provides funding to support proposals with a clear focus on supporting and driving forward new ideas (Innovation), or consolidating or expanding the benefits from successful projects (Excellence) or undertaking of strategic developments in voluntary sector capacity or capability within the health and care field.

(b) The Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund is a competed scheme which uniquely combines grant funding and support to voluntary organisations to increase their capacity, to get the maximum benefit from volunteers.

(c) The Strategic Partner Programme is a system-wide cohort of voluntary sector partners who use their knowledge, expertise and reach to inform and shape policy.

(d) Specific Policy Grants supporting Departmental policy.