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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Charities' use of government grants curbed | Charities' use of government grants curbed |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Organisations that are given government grants will be banned from using the money to try to persuade ministers to change the law or increase spending. | Organisations that are given government grants will be banned from using the money to try to persuade ministers to change the law or increase spending. |
| A new clause will be added into all new and renewed grant agreements to ensure funds are spent on good causes, rather than on political campaigns. | A new clause will be added into all new and renewed grant agreements to ensure funds are spent on good causes, rather than on political campaigns. |
| Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock said "the farce of government lobbying government" had to stop. | Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock said "the farce of government lobbying government" had to stop. |
| But a senior charity source said it was an attack on freedom of speech. | But a senior charity source said it was an attack on freedom of speech. |
| The Cabinet Office said the government gave the voluntary sector about £10bn in grants last year. | The Cabinet Office said the government gave the voluntary sector about £10bn in grants last year. |
| The government says it wants to put into the official conditions that government grants to charities cannot be used for "activity intended to influence - or attempt to influence - Parliament, government or political parties". | |
| 'Uncomfortable for government' | |
| Mr Hancock said: "The public sector never lobbies for lower taxes and less state spending, and it's a zero sum game if Peter is robbed to pay Paul." | Mr Hancock said: "The public sector never lobbies for lower taxes and less state spending, and it's a zero sum game if Peter is robbed to pay Paul." |
| But the senior charity source told the BBC: "Charities are not only about Tiny Tim on his crutch, but espousing the cause of the disadvantaged. | But the senior charity source told the BBC: "Charities are not only about Tiny Tim on his crutch, but espousing the cause of the disadvantaged. |
| "That will sometimes be uncomfortable for any government." | "That will sometimes be uncomfortable for any government." |
| BBC political reporter Alan Soady said exactly how such a rule would be enforced - and how charities would prove which pots of money funding for lobbying came from - was still unanswered. | |
| There was also some concern in Whitehall that some charities seemed to have been set up primarily to lobby, or that they were straying from their brief on the issues they lobbied on, he said. | |
| The system has been trialled in grants provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government. | |
| Ministers insisted it had not curtailed the ability of charities such as Shelter from lobbying on housing legislation. | |
| Under the rules, which will take effect in May, charities can still use privately-raised funds to campaign as they like. | Under the rules, which will take effect in May, charities can still use privately-raised funds to campaign as they like. |