By Richard Johnstone | 14 December 2011
MPs have called for the creation of a Big Society minister to put into practice government plans to give charities a greater role in public services.
In a report out today, the public administration select committee says the government has created confusion about its Big Society policy and plans to open up public services to more providers.The MPs say that they have ‘yet to see how the government will engage these charities and voluntary groups who wish to do so to deliver public services’.
Specifically, the report highlights the lack of involvement with what it
calls the ‘little society’ of smaller charities, rather than businesses and
bigger charities.
The Big Society report warns the government must deal with the barriers smaller organisations face in winning government contracts if the plans are to succeed.
This means addressing the differing roles, responsibilities and skills in Whitehall departments in terms of the policy. It should also include the creation of a single Big Society minister with a brief to make progress across government.
Among the other recommendations in the report is for the government to assess every new policy and Bill to determine what it will ‘substantively’ do to build up the Big Society.
The report follows the committee’s findings in September that charities and social enterprises faced civil service barriers.
Today’s report reiterates the call for greater clarity on the roles of charitable, and private providers of public services, warning that concerns about the role of private companies have not been adequately answered.
Committee chair Bernard Jenkin said that Prime Minister David Cameron had placed the Big Society project ‘at the centre of his political agenda’.
Jenkin added: ‘Translated into policies, it means opening up public services to new providers, increasing social action and the devolution of power to local communities and citizens. Many welcome these objectives, but this was never going to happen overnight.
‘However, so far, the government has not been clear enough about what the Big Society means in practical terms. There is a lot of confusion among the public and the new providers how the Big Society policies are expected work in practice.’
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations said that the report highlighted ‘major challenges to be overcome’ on the Big Society agenda.
Chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington said: ‘The report rightly emphasises that while the government has outlined some encouraging aspirations in relation to the Big Society, it needs to work with those in the voluntary and community sector to translate these into concrete and accessible opportunities. Creating a culture of social action cannot be done without the public’s buy-in.’
He added that the government must tackle the ‘unintended consequences’ of the reforms, which could lead to smaller, more innovative, more local providers are being driven out.
Trade union Unite said that the Big Society was sinking without trace because there is not enough money for it to function as the voluntary sector was ‘on its knees’ due to government cuts.
It backed the report’s call for a dedicated minister, saying
that it was essential there was a ‘big name, big hitting’ politician able to
speak up for the voluntary sector and secure the necessary funding.
