Charities could suffer from Labour proposals to protect NHS bodies from privatisation and expand the Freedom of Information Act, NCVO has warned.
In its manifesto, published today, Labour said if elected it will repeal the Health and Social Care Act, and that: “We will establish a sensible commissioning framework, based on the principle of an NHS preferred provider, to stop the drive towards privatisation and make sure that NHS services are not destabilised by competition and fragmentation.”
Nick Davies, public service manager at NCVO, said charities delivering NHS services should not become a “casualty” of this policy.
Calling for detail about how this would work and said: “A lot of charities make a huge contribution at the moment and it would be a great shame if concerns about the private sector limited the positive contribution made to the NHS.”
He said he was unsure about how this fits in “with existing procurement regulations”
He supported Labour’s plan to encourage the adoption of the Living Wage through contracts. “Where possible we think that those working in the voluntary sector should be paid the living wage,” he said.
Extend Freedom of Information Act
Labour’s manifesto also promises to extend freedom of information rules to cover organisations carrying out public services.
Davies said that while NCVO while this is “worth exploring” he is “concerned that it might place a greater administrative and financial burden on charities delivering public services.”
He suggested that the next government should instead a “better first step would be to increase the amount of information about contracts that is public as a matter of course”. He added that prime providers currently reveal “almost no information about the percentage of contracts being delivered by voluntary sector organisations”.
Small business administration
Labour’s manifesto also pledged to be a ‘small business administration’, “which will ensure procurement contracts are accessible and regulations are designed with small firms in mind”.
Davies said that as 99 per cent of charities are SMEs so it was important that charities were included in this proposal.
Repeal Lobbying Act
The party also responded to charities who have called for a repeal of the coalition’s Lobbying Act.
“We will safeguard our democracy by repealing the Lobbying Act, which has gagged charities, and replace it with a tougher statutory register of lobbyists,” it said.
Responding to today’s manifesto, John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: "This manifesto includes some good measures to encourage young people to volunteer and to encourage investment in charities, particularly those working in areas like childcare.
"Repealing the Lobbying Act will certainly remove unnecessary restraints and send a positive message to other countries around the world, which look to Britain as a beacon of free speech and a model for civil society.”
Acevo’s director of public policy, Asheem Singh, said: “When politicians voted to restrict the amount grass roots campaign groups could spend on campaigns in this election year while voting at the same time to raise the amount that politicians could spend on their own campaigns, a basic principle of decency and democracy was violated,” he said. “We look forward to this injustice being rectified, ideally in the first hundred days of the new parliament, whoever wins the election.”
Strengthen the social economy
“Our charities, mutuals, co-operatives and social enterprises are pioneering new models of production that enhance social value,” the manifesto said.
“We will continue to support and help develop the social economy by improving access for co-operative and mutual organisations to growth finance through the new British Investment Bank. And we will consider how to support employee buy-outs when businesses are being sold.”
Additional reporting by Emily Corfe
