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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendation on the right of charities to hold Government to account within the forthcoming Civil Society Covenant framework set out on page 20 of the report by NCVO and ACEVO entitled A New Relationship, published in May 2025.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is developing a Civil Society Covenant which will be published in the Summer. The Covenant will act as a foundation for resetting the relationship between government and civil society, symbolising recognition of the sector as a trusted and independent partner. DCMS is working closely with departments across government, including the Cabinet Office, to ensure the Covenant is developed and implemented effectively. DCMS has also worked closely with civil society organisations, including NCVO and ACEVO, from the beginning of the process and has conducted a significant period of engagement across the civil society sector to inform the development of the Covenant. The feedback and recommendations in the NCVO and ACEVO report titled ‘A New Partnership’ are being carefully considered as the Covenant develops.