# Conservatives launch online consultation forum for voluntary sector

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/08/03/conservatives-launch-online-consultation-forum-voluntary-sector/
- Published: 2003-08-03T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/2356.jpg)

The Conservative Party is encouraging voluntary and community groups of all sizes
to respond to its consultation paper for the voluntary and community sector.
The
Conservative Party leader, the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, recently unveiled sixteen
wide-ranging proposals to enhance the status and effectiveness of Britain’s voluntary
and community sector.

The proposals were contained in a green paper entitled ‘Sixty million citizens’.
These issues can now be discussed in an online discussion forum at efeedback.biz.

Here visitors can comment on proposals to such as introducing ‘charity choice’ for
National Lottery players; setting up a system of ‘Bureaucracy Busters’ to help not-
for-profit groups navigate the Whitehall bureaucracy; and introducing a right of
asset transfer of under-used community facilities to local charities.

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The online forum allows visitors to read and reply to other peoples’ views on the
Conservative Party’s proposals. It also gives the Conservative Party an opportunity
to ask visitors further questions about their views.

The Party says that the results from the online forum will be helpful in determining
which of the sixteen proposals become part of a ‘Voluntary Society Bill’ that the
next Conservative Government has promised to enact. They will also be help influence
the practice of existing Conservative-controlled councils.

Welcoming the launch of the online consultation, the Shadow Home Secretary, Rt Hon
Oliver Letwin MP, said: “We hope that this innovative online forum increases participation
in our consultation process. Through a forum like this we aim to reach beyond the
essential contribution of the larger charities and representative groups and hear
the views of social entrepreneurs and some of the nation’s smaller community groups.
Because of its interactivity and transparency I hope online consultations such as
this may become an effective tool for democratic policy-making.”

The forum is divided into sub-sections on “fundseekers”, accountability, volunteering,
regulation, mission, and representation. There is little activity to date but it
has of course only just launched.

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