Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services – in the Senedd at 2:42 pm on 9 May 2018.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:42, 9 May 2018

Well, clearly, I am using this opportunity to raise these matters with the Welsh Government. For confidentiality reasons, I can't disclose what further action might be taken and what information might be within that further action that I'm privy to. I am sharing the information I'm authorised to share at this point in time. Again, what action, given that you're responsible for the voluntary sector in Wales, do you take to ensure that moneys raised in Wales to support local charities actually stay in Wales for spending by those local charities? I'm told that people don't realise that all the local fundraising by Mind Cymru goes initially to their UK body, not to their local Minds, that the fundraising events advertised as raising money for Mind produce income that all goes to Mind national, which are unrestricted funds that Mind then decides how to spend, and they say they can't commit a direct benefit to local Minds in Wales. In fact, out of their total budget, last year's Mind expenditure on the network totalled just £4.3 million, or 20 per cent of their charitable expenditure. And, as I said at the beginning, only £1.2 million of that went directly to local Minds.

You are the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the voluntary sector. We have a brilliant network of 20 local Minds across Wales struggling to survive because the money being given for good reasons by people in Wales to support them is leaving Wales and only a fraction of it's coming back to deliver those services locally. Surely, Cabinet Secretary—and I hope you'll agree—this is a matter of concern for you as well as your wider Cabinet colleagues.