Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Civil Society and Charities

Monday 27 April 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister announced a package of grants to help ensure charities can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak.
  • Charities can access existing schemes such as VAT deferral and other support measures.
  • Minister acknowledged the need to provide further information on how charities can more easily access the agreed fund.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Vickers Con Rochdale
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Charities play a crucial role in providing care to vulnerable individuals. The pandemic has led to financial strains for these organizations.

Question

What steps is the Department taking to help ensure the sustainability of (a) civil society organisations and (b) charities affected by the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden

Charities provide so much compassion and care to the most vulnerable in our country, and that role has never been more important than it is right now. In order to ensure that charities can continue their vital work in our national effort to fight the coronavirus, we announced a package of grants worth £750 million, alongside all the measures that my right hon Friend the Chancellor has already announced to support charities.

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Q2 Jo Stevens Lab Cardiff Central
Economy Culture, Media & Sport Benefits & Welfare
Context

Charities are providing essential services to vulnerable people amid the pandemic but need more support.

Question

Although I welcome the support that he has announced, he also knows, because the charities sector has told him, that it is nowhere near enough, representing just 20% of their usual income during a 12-week period. They, and we, want to hear an explicit commitment from him that further funding will be announced before it is too late and charities go to the wall.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden

We will, of course, do everything that we can to support charities. It is worth noting that we have ensured, through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in discussions with the Treasury, that charities can access all the existing schemes. For example, they can benefit from VAT deferral, they can use the remaining business rate relief—they already get 80% relief; they can now get 100%—and they can furlough staff.

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Q3 Bim Afolami Con Hertford and Stevenage
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Local charities such as Garden House Hospice and Tilehouse Counselling face difficulties accessing the £750 million package.

Question

Can he give some further information to me and the House, and indeed to them, on how they can more easily access the fund that has been agreed, because some of them are saying that the next few weeks and months are looking very difficult?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden

My hon Friend is right to raise that issue. Charities such as Garden House and Tilehouse play a vital role in our country, and it is exactly those sorts of local charities on the frontline that we want to help. As part of the £360 million that is being distributed through Government Departments, up to £200 million will go to hospices. In addition, a further £310 million will be distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund.

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