4. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on support for the third sector in Wales, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56024

The Welsh Government has already provided £24 million to support the third sector in Wales through the pandemic. This recognised the vital role the sector has played in the response to COVID-19. And I am now making an additional £2.5 million available to ensure this support continues until the end of March. 

I'm grateful to the Deputy Minister for that response. Now, as you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit many charities across Wales very, very hard and had a huge impact on their funding streams. Now, this is particularly important for medical research charities, and some estimates suggest that the pandemic may set medical research back by as much as 10 years. Can you tell us what the Welsh Government's latest assessment is of the impact of COVID-19 on medical charities in particular? And what further assistance can you offer the sector to ensure life-saving medical research will actually continue to be funded here in Wales? 

I thank Paul Davies for that important question, and, of course, the loss of fundraising has particularly hit those medical charities, indeed, we have to say all charities, but those where perhaps there has been a crucial response—Marie Curie. We look to so many of those medical charities that often come here in order to launch, for example, the daffodil campaign. The emergency fund has, of course, provided close to £7 million, enabling 156 organisations to support both volunteers and beneficiaries, and that, of course, has now been replaced by the voluntary services recovery fund, because we have to ensure that we sustain those organisations, even with their loss of income. But I will also look at the particular impact on medical charities and report back to the Senedd on that particular sector in our third sector and charity organisations.FootnoteLink

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