Government of Wales Bill

My Lords, I do not feel that there is any major difficulty with the main thrust of the Bill. None the less, I feel more could be done in the Bill to reinforce the third sector in Wales and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. The third sector in Wales consists of a broad range of people, organisations and communities, who act independently of the state for the public benefit and not for private financial gain. This sector can tackle needs that are beyond the capabilities and resources of the public sector and which cannot be met on purely commercial terms. The sector includes voluntary organisations, community groups, volunteers, self-help groups, community co-operatives and enterprises and religious organisations. The sector is active every minute of every day in every community in Wales, making a significant contribution to every aspect of economic, cultural, social and environmental life. The Wales Council for Voluntary Action is the voice of the voluntary sector. It represents, supports and campaigns for voluntary organisations, volunteers and communities in Wales. The Wales Council for Voluntary Action, collaborating with partners, works to strengthen voluntary community action in civil society in Wales. This involves: supporting working relationships with government and public bodies; supporting and promoting the work of voluntary and community groups at national and local level; supporting and promoting volunteering and the interests of volunteers; promoting community cohesion and inclusion and building social capital; developing and supporting new initiatives; enhancing resources; and improving performance and effectiveness. There are approximately 30,000 voluntary and community organisations in Wales, of which over 25,000 are recorded on the all-Wales database maintained by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Over 23,000 are local groups, working at local authority level and even more locally than that. From a survey of voluntary organisations operating in Wales, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action estimates that the total income in 2001–02 was over £1 billion. Despite there being over 1.25 million unpaid volunteers, the voluntary sector in Wales employs at least 30,000 people—almost 2.5 per cent of the workforce in Wales. In 2002 the Wales Council for Voluntary Action survey showed that 13,000 were in the health- and social-care area, nearly 20 per cent of the social-care workforce. The WCVA has responsibility for facilitating the sector’s involvement in the National Assembly for Wales Voluntary Sector Scheme. This includes facilitating the selection of the voluntary sector representatives on the Voluntary Sector Partnership Council, ensuring that as far as possible they reflect a cross-section of the voluntary sector interests and activities. The WCVA provides the secretariat for several sub-groups and working groups that have arisen from the Voluntary Sector Partnership Council, including the funding and compliance sub-committee. The WCVA also facilitates the biannual meetings between Assembly Government Ministers and representatives of the relevant networks of voluntary organisations. These meetings review how the Voluntary Sector Scheme is operating in Wales, anticipate forthcoming issues and consider resources. The WCVA convenes the planning meetings for the sector to prepare for the ministerial meetings. The WCVA’s other support services include a help desk, funding advice, information sheets, comprehensive training programme, help with assessing European funding, regular magazine and information bulletins, and a range of grant schemes. When the Bill is in Committee I shall be tabling an amendment for the Government to consider including the Voluntary Sector Partnership Council and its composition in the Bill. In the mean time, I hope that I have demonstrated to your Lordships the justification for such an approach. I was encouraged today when I listened to the Budget by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and he indicated that an office was going to be set up in the Treasury for the voluntary sector. That demonstrates to me that the value of the work conducted by volunteers and voluntary organisations is recognised. Wales as a nation and needs to have this identified in the Bill. I hope that the House will agree.