Chancellor Alistair Darling has asked civil society leaders for evidence of the sector’s ability to deliver efficiencies for the government by providing more public services.

Last year Acevo co-ordinated a letter to the Chancellor (pictured) signed by 260 charity and social enterprise chiefs, offering to meet with ministers to outline how the sector could become central to the government’s need to cut the budget deficit by adding value to service delivery.

It gave examples of how civil society groups already deliver state services in several areas and offered to provide further ideas.

After the Chancellor failed to respond, Acevo sent a similar missive to the Conservatives, who replied immediately and offered a meeting with sector heads.  Those expected to attend this meeting, to be held within the next few weeks, include Nick Hurd, shadow charities minister; Oliver Letwin, who chairs the Tories’ policy review team; shadow chancellor George Osborne, shadow cabinet secretary Francis Maude, and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond.

Darling finally responds

This week the Chancellor also responded, requesting further examples of “added value in service delivery by the sector” and offering to “discuss this evidence with you”.

The letter also mentioned that the new Cabinet committee set up by the Prime Minster specifically to consider issues relating to the sector’s involvement in service delivery, had met for the first time last week.

This committee “provides a forum for ministers from all the large delivery departments to discuss and seek to resolve the important issues of both barriers to market entry for third sector organisations and the value and wider potential for sector delivery of public services”.

Stephen Bubb, chief executive of Acevo, described it as a “strong and positive response” and said a meeting would be arranged.