The NCVO has said the government should be applauded for the progress it has made on implementing Lord Hodgson’s advice on ways to cut red tape for charities.
Following the publication of the Office for Civil Society’s one-year-on progress report on the recommendations contained in Lord Hodgson’s report Unshackling Good Neighbours, NCVO chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington (pictured) had nothing but praise for the department’s work.
He said the “overwhelming sense of déjà vu” that many felt at the prospect of yet another attempt to cut bureaucracy for the sector had proved to be unfounded once the Red Tape Task Force published its report.
And the government should be given credit for its actions in response, Sir Stuart said.
“Government is now to be applauded for giving such a strong indication that this is an agenda which it is determined to deliver, by driving the necessary action to implement the recommendations.
"In particular, the steps that are being taken to eliminate regulatory duplication and repeated requests for the same information in slightly different formats, and to simplify the charity licensing regime, will cut a swathe through the disproportionate, often duplicatory bureaucracy that causes so many problems in the day-to-day work of our organisations. "
They will significantly lighten the load, especially for smaller charities, he said, freeing them up to focus on their beneficiaries and helping them “stay afloat in this increasingly competitive commissioning environment”.
Click on the links below to read highlights from the OCS report.
Companies House and Charity Commission consider common filing
Government tells payroll giving agencies to up their game
Volunteer code of practice published
And click here to read the full report.
