Written question asked by Steve Reed (Labour) on Monday, 11 February 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 14 February 2019 (named day). It was answered by Mims Davies (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 February 2019 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Civil Society

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 15 of the Government's Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what progress his Department has made on working with the Big Lottery Fund to use £55 million from dormant accounts to fund a new, independent organisation which will work with partners across the private and social sectors to tackle financial exclusion.

Answer: Financial exclusion blights lives and as part of the Civil Society Strategy the Government committed to working with the National Lottery Community Fund, previously known as the Big Lottery Fund , to use £55 million from dormant accounts to fund a new, independent organisation to tackle it. The Founding Chair of this new organisation is being appointed by a nomination panel independent of government, and their decision will be announced in due course.

Secondary information