3. Will the Deputy Minister outline the measures being taken to encourage the voluntary sector to apply for public sector tenders? OAQ55172

We provide support, encouragement and guidance through the Wales procurement policy statement and our third sector scheme. Our long-standing community benefits policy provides a flexible framework that enables public sector procurers to develop third-sector-friendly procurement approaches.

Can I thank the Minister for that answer? You may have heard earlier that I asked the First Minister a question about the Cardiff young person's supported accommodation partnership, which is being led by the Salvation Army, but has Taff Housing Association in it, and the Church Army also. And that was encouraged, that partnership approach, by Cardiff Council. And it seems to me that's a really good example of best practice, using the resources of the voluntary sector, and, in this case, also involving a faith community approach. And that's something that we want to open up, especially when they link up, as in this case, with a sort of public sector agency—I know a housing association is in that slight grey zone. But this does seem to me the sort of working we want to encourage.

Yes. And I would also like to add just a word of thanks to David Melding for his stewardship of the third sector. We both came from the third sector when we became two of the class of 1999, 21 years ago. But it's so important that you have championed the third sector and this partnership that you have described this afternoon is exemplary. It does engage with local authorities and the third sector, and could I just, in response immediately to that question, say that this is very linked to the Welsh Government's code of practice for funding for the third sector? It does set out those principles for public bodies, such as local authorities, on how they should comply in terms of ensuring that there are opportunities for the third sector. And I am now going to put this point on the agenda of the next funding and compliance sub-committee of the third sector partnership council.

I heard what the Deputy Minister has said in response to David Melding about the existing support, but she will be aware that we have, in recent months, seen smaller local housing associations, who are very well-rooted in their communities, losing out on funding bids to bigger organisations that may not be as well rooted. The Deputy Minister will be aware of women-led third sector local organisations losing out on providing domestic abuse support to much bigger organisations that may not have that level of local knowledge and specialism. In my own constituency, we've seen a small local voluntary organisation that provides a very specialist service to very traumatised children losing funding to a big organisation based in an English university.

So, I'm asking the Deputy Minister whether she will consider looking again at the guidance that she's already mentioned to David Melding and also having further conversations with local authorities in Wales to ensure that the funding practice is always consistently applied. Because it does seem to me, representing a very big region, that there is regional variation between county councils and, while I wouldn't wish to suggest, Llywydd, to the Deputy Minister that the smaller organisations are always better, I think we are at risk of losing that local expertise when organisations are not skilled up to make bids for those very competitive commercial-style tenders. 

Well, I'm grateful to Helen Mary Jones for raising that point and that example. Of course, we have got now statutory guidance in relation to commissioning for VAWDASV—violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence—funding and we are in the early days of ensuring that that guidance is enabling those specialist organisations, particularly, as you say, to ensure that there is a level playing field, and, indeed, that we should be looking, where we can, at Welsh organisations, their experience and their evidence. And we're well aware of some of those outside-of-Wales organisations that have come in and bid successfully. This is key, not just for the third sector, but particularly in response to this question, but also for other businesses and social enterprises in Wales.

And I'm very glad that these issues are being addressed through the foundational economy routes, and that we've got some good examples where we are now, through the foundational economy work, ensuring that we can actually have jobs closer to home and contracts closer to home as well. But that applies to the third sector as well, which includes, of course, social enterprises and housing associations.