To ask the Minister for Communities (i) how his Department will increase funding to the community and voluntary sector to enable it to return to pre-pandemic and pre-cost-of-living-crisis levels of service; and (ii) for his assessment of how investment in this sector by his Department saves Executive departments' money at rates beyond the funding provided, by supporting or filling gaps in public services.

The voluntary and community sector is diverse and complex and organisations receive funding from across a range of statutory bodies and non-statutory organisations. My department has heard consistently from sector leaders in recent months that operating conditions are difficult and that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting the sustainability of services.

For those organisations that my department funds, no cuts to community and voluntary sector grants were made as part of last year’s budget exercise and my department has previously provided funding uplifts to support costs associated with increased inflation, with some potential to provide similar support before the end of this financial year.

Public consultation has recently ended on policy proposals from my department for future support for the Sector, setting out a commitment to continued investment in core sectoral infrastructure. Following consideration of responses, I will bring forward proposals for future investment in sectoral infrastructure, alongside commitments to fair and sustainable funding approaches and sustained investment in the voluntary and community sector.

I cannot make an evidence-based assessment of how investment in the voluntary and community sector saves money across the Executive, however I appreciate that all government departments currently benefit from the work of the Sector, in terms of the design and delivery of public services and through advocacy across a very wide range of policy interests.