In a recent press release the Coalition Government declared that:
‘Councils have challenging decisions to make around how they prioritise spending but they must resist any temptation to pull up the drawbridge on the voluntary sector and pass on disproportionate cuts. The best councils are showing that they can both embrace the Big Society and balance the books at the same time.’
They added:
‘In their approach to budget setting, the best councils are showing that they understand that a strong, thriving voluntary sector is more important now than ever and could be the key to providing high quality, good value services to their residents. But this is not the case everywhere. Councils that are failing to recognise the importance of the sector are being short sighted in their approach.’
The press release quoted Reading Council which is increasing the money they give to voluntary groups.’ They are ‘offering hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cheap accommodation taking the financial pressure off local groups.’
At the same time the Coalition Government wrote to every council highlighting the importance of publishing details of funding to voluntary and community groups as part and parcel of the general move towards greater transparency in public spending.

Chris Lofts has asked the Leader of South Northamptonshire Council to detail what funding has been provided by the Council to voluntary sector organisations in the years 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 and what steps have been taken by the Council:
a) to offer cheap accommodation to the voluntary sector within the various properties owned by the Council and
b) to publicise its funding to voluntary and community groups
to enable electors to judge if the Council is one of ‘the best’ as defined by the Coalition Government?