Role of charities stymied by red tape

The government’s “lack of expertise” in dealing with the voluntary sector has limited charity involvement in delivering public services, MPs have claimed.

Bureaucracy and short-term funding have deterred organisations from working with government programmes, according to a report from parliament’s public accounts committee.

It says the Home Office and the Treasury lack information on how funding is distributed between organisations, and warns that the poorest communities are losing out. 

And it calls for a government review of the way departments deal with the voluntary sector.

Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, said the report “confirms what our members are saying at ground level”.

“Despite firm commitments from government to a better funding relationship, both government and the sector accept that promises have not been kept,” he added.