Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with businesses on support for local charities during the covid-19 outbreak.

Businesses have played a significant role in supporting charities up and down the country during the pandemic. Officials in my department and across government, have held a number of conversations with business and charity sector representatives throughout the pandemic.

Government has published guidance for businesses setting out how they can best support the charity sector, and separate guidance for civil society organisations on how to access support. This included information on pro-bono professional services, digital support to aid service transformation, enabling staff volunteering, and funding. Government has also linked up businesses with suitable brokers, including Business in the Community and Volunteering Matters. These brokers have specialist skills in making connections between businesses and charities.