Shadow Minister for Communities and Housing, Mark Isherwood AM, has hit out at the Welsh Government for slashing the budget for charities and voluntary groups and organisations. Speaking in the Assembly Chamber this week, Mr Isherwood criticised the 10% cut to the Third Sector Supporting Communities and People Budget, emphasising the crucial role the third sector plays in delivering quality services for less.
Questioning the Finance Minister, Jane Hutt AM, he said:
“Bodies from the Williams Commission through to the Auditor General for Wales and a coalition of 130 organisations in Wales have called for services to be delivered differently, not just because of austerity but because this enables and reables individuals and communities. Yet you’ve cut the Third Sector Supporting Communities and People Budget by 10%.
“How do you therefore respond to concern that, at a time when engagement of the third sector is most needed, such cuts to ground level support will disable their ability to support the more holistic, user-led, preventative and cost-effective support and services that the Third Sector delivers. They describe this as being ‘devastatingly compromised’.”
In her response the Minister blamed the UK Government for these disproportionate cuts by her own Government.
Mr Isherwood added: “Although the Welsh Government is requesting third sector commitment to alternative delivery models for crucial public services, and although the third sector is offering support to help statutory services meet the needs of people in a more collective and cost effective way, dogma is decimating the foundations that exist to co-produce quality services together. This failure to work smarter is a false economy which will result in higher costs to public sector service providers. ”