CABINET OFFICE News
Release (CAB/077/08) issued by The Government News Network on 7 July 2008
Phil Hope,
Minister for the Third Sector, has asked the Compact Commissioner
Sir Bert Massie to lead a debate on whether the Compact should be
supported by statutory powers.
In a letter to Sir Bert, the Minister asks the Commission for the
Compact to conduct a wide and thorough debate across the third
sector on whether the Commissioner should have legal powers to
punish bodies that breach the Compact. This will form part of an
ongoing root and branch review of the Compact and all its Codes of Practice.
Established in 1998, the Compact is an agreement between
Government and the third sector in England. It recognises shared
values, principles and commitments and sets out guidelines for
working together. The Minister's call comes after Sir Bert
warned that the Compact cannot survive in its current form. Third
sector organisations have complained that the Compact and the
Commission 'lack teeth', leaving them unprotected in
disputes with local authorities.
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, said:
"Ten years after its inception, it is time to look again at
the Compact and how the third sector and local government can work
together effectively to deliver first rate public services.
"The Compact has helped to promote good practice in
relations between councils and voluntary groups. Since 1998
however, there has been exceptional growth in the third sector,
and its involvement in the market for public services contracts
has become increasingly sophisticated.
"For this reason, I have asked Sir Bert Massie to review the
Compact and its Codes from top to bottom and ask third sector
organisations and local government for their views on the
Commission's statutory status. If the debate responses
suggest there is a need for the Commission and Commissioner to be
given legal powers to enforce the Compact, the Government is
prepared to start work immediately towards making it happen."
A three-month debate will be undertaken by the Commission in
close co-operation with the Office of the Third Sector in the
Cabinet Office and Compact Voice, which represents the views of
the voluntary and community sector. Input is invited from all
bodies that use or are affected by the Compact.
The Commission is already conducting a broader root and branch
review of the Compact and its Codes in order to make it more
relevant to the new environment in which the third sector now operates.
Notes to Editors
1. In March 2008, Sir Bert Massie was appointed Compact
Commissioner to push for greater public sector compliance with the
Compact. He has forty years experience in the voluntary sector,
and was formerly chair of the Disability Rights Commission.
2. The Compact is an agreement reached in 1998 that defines
government's responsibilities in its dealings with charities
and voluntary groups. More information can be found on the website
of the Commission for the Compact at http://www.thecompact.org.uk/.
3. The Office of the Third Sector is part of the Cabinet Office.
It leads work across government to build the right environment for
a thriving third sector. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector
4. Compact Voice represents the voluntary and community sector on
taking the Compact forward and helping to get more effective
agreements with local government. http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/
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