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Bubb proposes voluntary sector council for Government

By Emilie Filou, Third Sector Online, 20 July 2007

The Government should set up a council of voluntary sector leaders to advise on issues including poverty, climate change and the reform of public services, according to Acevo.

In an open letter to Phil Hope, the third sector minister, Acevo chief executive Stephen Bubb has called for the creation of a council to advise the Prime Minister and the Office of the Third Sector.

“This role would be analogous to the proposed Business Council, helping to support the work of the UK’s international NGOs and the broader third sector role in sustainability and tackling the effects of globalisation,” Bubb wrote.

The council would have 12 members from a range of roles across the third sector and fulfil specific functions, such as an annual audit of the progress on the third sector delivery plan, an audit of the third sector review, and overseeing various bodies connected to the sector, Bubb said.

The council may also encourage the growth of professionalism in the sector, Bubb added. “The Government had voiced support for the contribution of the third sector to empowering civil society,” he wrote. “A body such as that suggested of third sector leaders could provide a means of consultation across Government departments. The outcome could be great for all of us,” he concluded.

The letter was also sent to Ed Miliband, the minister for the Cabinet Office, whose portfolio includes overseeing the Office of the Third Sector, and David Blunkett, in his new role as adviser on the next Labour manifesto for the third sector.