NCVO on cutting red tape

NCVO response to the Cabinet Office's progress report on cutting red tape

NCVO hastoday responded to the Cabinet Office report, 'Unshackling Good Neighbours – One Year On'. The report summarises progress made in implementing the recommendations of Lord Hodgson’s Civil Society Red Tape Task Force.

Sir Stuart Etherington, NCVO Chief Executive, said:

"When the government first announced the creation of a task force aimed at reducing the regulatory and bureaucratic burden faced by voluntary organisations, the most common reaction was an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. However, the Red Tape Task Force and its resulting report represented a new impetus in the drive towards greater efficiency and reducing the countless rules that put people off giving their time and money to good causes, and stifle the volunteer and charity sector in the UK.

"Government is now to be applauded for giving such a strong indication that this is an agenda which it is determined to deliver, by driving the necessary action to implement the recommendations.

"In particular, the steps that are being taken to eliminate regulatory duplication and repeated requests for the same information in slightly different formats, and to simplify the charity licensing regime, will cut a swathe through the disproportionate, often duplicatory bureaucracy that causes so many problems in the day to day work of our organisations. They will significantly lighten the load especially for smaller charities, which would be free to concentrate on providing the best possible support to their beneficiaries, and therefore would be in a better position to stay afloat in this increasingly competitive commissioning environment."

You can find the original 'Unshackling Good Neighbours' report and the 'One Year On' progress report to Lord Hodgson on the Cabinet Office website.