Cross-Party Letter to the Chancellor
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Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP Chancellor of the Exchequer HM Treasury 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ Dear Chancellor, Coronavirus – Support for Charities, Voluntary Organisations and Social Enterprises We are writing to you as a cross party group of MPs and peers to ask for urgent action to be taken on supporting charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises, given the unprecedented situation, and their ability to play a crucial role in the national response to Coronavirus. Charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises offer crucial support to many parts of our society every day, and in the coming months will be vital in tackling the spread and impact of Coronavirus / COVID-19. Many can help alleviate the pressure on our NHS and social care services and provide support to people suffering from the economic and social impact of the pandemic, as well as helping with everything from mental health impacts to support for vulnerable families. But without an immediate injection of money, many charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises of all sizes will soon close. Funds are running out. Crucially, the NCVO predicts that there will be a loss in the sector of £4.3bn in income over the coming 12 weeks. The figure could be far higher. Your announcement of further financial support for employers, businesses, and people – including that these should apply to charities – is welcome, but charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises require detailed clarification of where they are eligible for such support. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), and the Charity Finance Group have issued their own urgent calls, and we endorse these and call on you to take the following urgent actions, working directly with the Devolved Administrations, to protect the charity, voluntary and social enterprise sector at this crucial time: • Provide immediate emergency funding for frontline charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises supporting the response to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, especially where they are alleviating pressure on the health service or providing support to people suffering from the economic and social impact of COVID-19 • Provide a ‘stabilisation fund’ for all charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises to help them stay afloat and continue operating during the course of the pandemic. • Provide confirmation that all charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises as employers will be eligible for the Government action to cover 80% of the salary of retained workers, and clarify the situation for the differing governance models of charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises – including CICs. • Establish an emergency grant fund – NCVO have recommended that the mechanism most effective for this would be the National Emergencies Trust (NET) – which has established links with Community Foundations. • Confirm that charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises are eligible for the other business interruption measures announced for business. Particularly can you urgently confirm how the following measures will be available to charities: the £330bn loan guarantees; the criteria for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises being eligible for the business interruption loan scheme; and whether additional business rates measures include premises that are not retail charity shops? • Work with the UK’s largest philanthropic organisations and foundations, the National Lottery and others to identify grant funding which can be drawn down early over the coming days, or in addition from their reserves and existing grant programmes to help fill the growing gaps in the sector. I am copying this letter to the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Civil Society. We look forward to hearing your urgent response. Signed, Stephen Doughty MP and Julian Lewis MP Fleur Anderson MP Chris Bryant MP Vicky Foxcroft MP Tonia Antoniazzi MP Karen Buck MP Ian Blackford MP Paula Barker MP Dawn Butler MP Keir Starmer MP Órfhlaith Begley MP Ian Byrne MP Greg Clark MP Apsana Begum MP Liam Byrne MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Hilary Benn MP Ruth Cadbury MP Colum Eastwood MP Clive Betts MP Lisa Cameron MP Liz Saville-Roberts MP Olivia Blake MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Gary Streeter MP Paul Blomfield MP Sarah Champion MP Alistair Carmichael MP Peter Bottomley MP Douglas Chapman MP Valerie Vaz MP Tracy Brabin MP Bambos Charalambous MP Debbie Abrahams MP Ben Bradshaw MP Joanna Cherry MP Peter Aldous MP Graham Brady MP Feryal Clark MP Rushanara Ali MP Mickey Brady MP Daisy Cooper MP Tahir Ali MP Kevin Brennan MP Rosie Cooper MP Mike Amesbury MP Alan Brown MP Yvette Cooper MP David Amess MP Lyn Brown MP Neil Coyle MP Stella Creasy MP Fabian Hamilton MP Siobhain McDonagh MP Jon Cruddas MP Claire Hann MP Andy McDonald MP Judith Cummins MP Neale Hanvey MP Stewart McDonald MP Alex Cunningham MP Emma Hardy MP Stuart McDonald MP Janet Daby MP Harriet Harman MP John McDonnell MP Edward Davey MP Carolyn Harris MP Conor McGinn MP Wayne David MP Helen Hayes MP Catherine McKinnell MP Geraint Davies MP Chris Hazzard MP Anna McMorrin MP Alex Davies-Jones MP Mark Hendrick MP John McNally MP Marsha de Cordova MP Mike Hill MP Ian Mearns MP Anneliese Dodds MP Meg Hillier MP Huw Merriman MP Jeffrey Donaldson MP Margaret Hodge MP Stephen Metcalfe MP Allan Dorans MP Sharon Hodgson MP Ed Miliband MP Jack Dromey MP Kevin Hollinrake MP Navendu Mishra MP Rosie Duffield MP Rachel Hopkins MP Francie Molloy MP Angela Eagle MP Stewart Hosie MP Carol Monaghan MP Maria Eagle MP George Howarth MP Layla Moran MP Colum Eastwood MP Rupa Huq MP Jessica Morden MP Jonathan Edwards MP Christine Jardine MP Stephen Morgan MP Clive Efford MP Diana Johnson MP Grahame Morris MP Chris Elmore MP Kim Johnson MP Ian Murray MP Florence Eshalomi MP Darren Jones MP James Murray MP Bill Esterson MP Gerald Jones MP John Nicolson MP Chris Evans MP Ruth Jones MP Alex Norris MP Tim Farron MP Sarah Jones MP Brendan O’Hara MP Stephen Farry MP Barbara Keeley MP Sarah Olney MP Margaret Ferrier MP Liz Kendall MP Chi Onwurah MP John Finucane MP Afzal Khan MP Abena Oppong-Asare MP Colleen Fletcher MP Stephen Kinnock MP Kate Osamor MP Stephen Flynn MP Peter Kyle MP Kate Osborne MP Yvonne Fovargue MP Ben Lake MP Taiwo Owatemi MP Mary Foy MP David Lammy MP Sarah Owen MP Gill Furniss MP Chris Law MP Ian Paisley MP Barry Gardiner MP Emma Lewell-Buck MP Matthew Pennycook MP Michelle Gildernew MP Clive Lewis MP Toby Perkins MP Preet Kaur Gill MP Tony Lloyd MP Jess Phillips MP Paul Girvan MP Tim Loughton MP Luke Pollard MP Mary Glindon MP Caroline Lucas MP Lucy Powell MP Patrick Grady MP Holly Lynch MP Yasmin Qureshi MP Richard Graham MP Kenny MacAskill MP Angela Rayner MP Neil Gray MP Angus MacNeil MP Steve Reed MP Kate Green MP Justin Madders MP Christina Rees MP Lilian Greenwood MP Seema Malhotra MP Ellie Reeves MP Nia Griffith MP Rachael Maskell MP Rachel Reeves MP Jonathan Gullis MP Paul Maskey MP Jonathan Reynolds MP Andrew Gwynne MP Chris Matheson MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Louise Haigh MP Steve McCabe MP Marie Rimmer MP Robert Halfon MP Kerry McCarthy MP Gavin Robinson MP Matt Rodda MP Lord Bach Baroness Mallalieu Andrew Rosindell MP Lord Bassam of Brighton Baroness Massey of Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP Lord Bradley Darwen Naz Shah MP Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Lord McAvoy Virendra Sharma MP Lord Browne of Ladyton Baroness McIntosh Barry Sheerman MP Lord Collins of Highbury Lord McNicol of West Tulip Siddiq MP Baroness Corston Kilbride Andy Slaughter MP Baroness Crawley Lord Mendelsohn Alyn Smith MP Lord Desai Lord Monks Cat Smith MP Baroness Donaghy Baroness Morgan of Jeff Smith MP Baroness Drake Huyton Nick Smith MP Lord Drayson Baroness Morris of Yardley Alex Sobel MP Lord Faulkner of Worcester Lord Murphy of Torfaen Jo Stevens MP Lord Filkin Baroness Nye John Stevenson MP Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Baroness Primarolo Jamie Stone MP Lord Goldsmith Baroness Prosser Wes Streeting MP Baroness Goudie Baroness Quin Zarah Sultana MP Lord Griffiths of Burry Port Baroness Ramsay of Mark Tami MP Lord Hain Cartvale Sam Tarry MP Lord Harris of Haringey Lord Robertson of Port Alison Thewliss MP Lord Haskel Ellen Gareth Thomas MP Baroness Hatyer of Kentish Baroness Royall of Blaisdon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Town Baroness Smith of Basildon Owen Thompson MP Lord Hayward Lord Snape Richard Thomson MP Lord Howarth Lord Soley Stephen Timms MP Baroness Hughes of Lord Stevenson of Karl Turner MP Stretford Balmacara Derek Twigg MP Lord Hunt of Kings Heath Baroness Taylor of Bolton Liz Twist MP Baroness Jones of Baroness Thornton Martin Vickers MP Whitchurch Lord Triesman Claudia Webbe MP Baroness Kennedy of the Lord Tunnicliffe Catherine West MP Shaws Baroness Warwick Matt Western MP Lord Kennedy of Southwark Lord Watson of Alan Whitehead MP Baroness Kingsmill Invergowrie Philippa Whitford MP Baroness Kinnock of Lord West of Spithead Nadia Whittome MP Holyhead Lord Wood of Anfield Munira Wilson MP Lord Kinnock Lord Woolmer of Leeds Beth Winter MP Lord Lennie Baroness Wilcox of William Wragg MP Lord Levy Newport Mohammad Yasin MP Baroness Liddell of Baroness Young of Scone Coatdyke Lord Young of Norwood Lord Adonis Lord Liddle Green Baroness Andrews Baroness Lister of Baroness Armstrong Burtersett .