The Voluntary Sector

Part of Questions to the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip – in the Senedd at 2:42 pm on 3 March 2020.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 2:42, 3 March 2020

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.