Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Steve Baker MP Questions: Government Lobbying Government Encouraged By Department Of Health

You may remember my mentioning, earlier this month, Steve Baker MP having asked a few questions of government departments about their policy towards grants afforded to charities.

Having only seen three replies at the time, I guessed that there would be more to come, an assumption which was confirmed by Baker himself popping by to declare that "There will be further answers. We asked them all.". True to his word, they are all now available.

You may also remember that I was looking forward to how the Department of Health's response would compare with that of all the others. So let's boil them down, eh?
Culture Media and Sport: Use of DCMS grants is also limited to the specific purpose for which each is given, and DCMS does not provide grants specifically for advocacy, lobbying or campaigning. 
Home Department: Providing a grant to any organisation for the purpose of political advocacy, lobbying or campaigning would not be in line with Home Office policy, and is expressly prohibited by the terms and conditions of the standard Home Office grant agreement. 
Justice: Grant agreements contain standard terms and conditions which prohibit using the grant to fund certain activities. These include activities which may be party-political in intention, use or presentation or general lobbying on behalf of the recipient. 
Education: Our policy is that grant funding may not be used, and is not granted for, the purposes of funding advocacy, lobbying or campaigning. 
International Development: As a matter of principle funding from DFID cannot be awarded to initiatives that involve direct lobbying of the UK Government or of international organisations of which the UK Government is a member. 
Communities and Local Government: Ministers believe that it is inappropriate for taxpayers' money to subsidise such campaigning activity. 
Energy and Climate Change: The charities we engage take no position on policy issues and do not engage in advocacy, lobbying or campaigning.
All pretty clear so far. In fact, only Transport were a trifle vague by pointing to this pdf document and referring to framework terms and conditions which we can't possibly look into without FOI requests.

The Department of Health, however, were uniquely unapologetic.
The Department supports and recognises the role of charities and voluntary organisations to undertake advocacy, lobbying and campaigning where they are seeking to improve the health and well-being outcomes for the population of England.
It's kinda what we knew already, but I must admit that I truly believed they'd try to obscure it with flowery sentences. Government lobbying government, using your taxes, is not only acceptable to the DoH, but is positively encouraged.

It's why ASH, fake charities on foodie subjects, and - until very recently - Alcohol Concern - are shovelled millions of pounds of your cash to order you around.

They've made their minds up. Your hard-earned is extremely welcome in the state's coffers, but your personal choices can go hang.

Stinks, doesn't it?