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NCVO president to lead de-regulation task force

Governance | Niki May Young | 16 Aug 2010

Nick Hurd and Mark Prisk have today announced the taskforce assembled to flush out bureaucracy from the voluntary sector.

The minister for civil society and minister for business and enterprise said the six-strong team will be chaired by National Council for Voluntary Organisations president Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (pictured) and will comprise: outgoing chief executive of the Charity Commission Andrew Hind; chief executive of WRVS Lynne Berry, chief executive of Community Matters David Tyler; retiring chair of the NCVO and past chief executive of the Co-operative Group Sir Graham Melmoth, and chair of Marstons PLC, David Thompson.

"This is a tough time for small civil society organisations and we want to make life easier for them," said Hurd. "So I have asked for specific ideas on how we can thin the thicket of bureaucracy and regulation that too often gets in the way. I see it very simply. Every pound or hour we can save a small voluntary organisation is a pound or hour that could be better spent."

The taskforce will work through the "full range of burdens that fall on small civil society organisations" to reduce the red-tape constricting the sector, and will set the agenda for regulation amendments, producing a report for ministers by early 2011.

It will also incorporate thinking on other initiatives including Lord Young's health and safety review, the gift aid review and the vetting and barring regime. 

Lord Hodgson notably led from the opposition bench for the Conservatives on the Charities Act in 2006 and is founder of Community Hospitals plc, the first listed UK acute care hospital company. He said: 

"I have accepted this role because I believe that the government is serious about cutting the burden of red tape for civil society groups.

"I relish this opportunity to try to thin out the red tape that puts people off doing more for their communities and that holds back innovative small organisations from growth. I’m very grateful to the taskforce members who have volunteered the benefit of their significant expertise to this important work.

"I hope very much that the sector will not be backward in coming forward to identify areas where bureaucracy can be reduced and make practical recommendations for action – this is their chance."

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