Clause 81
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill
4:00 pm
Alistair Burt (Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government), Communities and Local Government; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
I am talking specifically about those who have been engaged as partners within an area agreement, so that will vary according to what the agreement is. I am trying to ensure that, when consultation is taking place, the involvement of those people will not simply depend on whether the authority considers them to be “appropriate”, but will be mandatory because of what they are doing and how they are working with a local authority.
Let me expand on the role of the voluntary sector, because it is important to put in on the record. I thank the National Council for Voluntary Organisations for the briefing that it provided for Committee members, to which I am referring. In its main briefing, when referring to the whole background to the Bill, it states:
“The future of local government is a key issue for the voluntary and community sector. The sector is particularly keen to see modernisation and change in partnership working, scrutiny and accountability, best value, community governance and capacity building support for the VCS...Voluntary and community organisations interact with local authorities and other statutory organisations in numerous ways and at numerous levels, playing three very important roles...they provide information and give advice to individuals or communities; they enable people’s voices to be heard, by supporting and encouraging people and communities or by acting as advocates (very often for marginalised groups who may not have any other way of being heard) and they provide activities and services.”
I am particularly concerned with that third element.
It would be appropriate for the Government to recognise the involvement of the sector in providing services by following it through under the amendment. Voluntary and community organisations need to be involved in the local area agreement process from the outset and enabled to engage fully with the agreement process, setting targets and discussing funding. It is important to recognise that, for many voluntary and community organisations, risks are inherent in the LAA approach. Whereas good local authorities will make use of the freedoms and flexibilities to determine their own priorities in partnership with a broad range of local stakeholders, others will take the opportunity to pull back all control to themselves. If local partnerships are to be benefit from the sector’s expertise and insight into such issues, there must be support, including some financial support, to facilitate the sector’s engagement.