Coalition MPs think public services provided by the voluntary sector services will help cut costs

Survey shows most Tories and Lib Dems believe the sector can help reduce public spending.

Four-fifths of Conservative MPs and just over half of Liberal Democrat MPs believe the provision of public services by the voluntary sector will help cut public spending, a new survey indicates.

The survey was carried out by sector consultancy nfpSynergy in May and June and polled 150 MPs. It found that only a quarter of Labour MPs surveyed agreed that the provision of services by charities would help to cut costs.

The research also found that coalition MPs see charities and social enterprises as more important to this government than the previous one.

Sarah Lincoln, a researcher at nfpSynergy, said charities might not welcome the fact that coalition MPs viewed them as more important in times of public sector cost-cutting if they had insufficient grants or support to provide front-line services.

She said Labour MPs may "doubt there will be much new cash forthcoming, thus potentially leaving both charities and public without."

Source: Third Sector