Addressing the Public Administration Select Committee, Acevo chief executive Stephen Bubb told the committee that thanks to the expanding role of the third sector, it was “time for the government to deliver on promises that have been made to improve conditions for the third sector”.

“It is also a time for third sector leaders to feel energised by the opportunities that are unfolding and to rise to the challenges that these opportunities bring,” he added.

The head of Acevo also told the committee that the strength of the third sector in public service delivery lay in its focus on beneficiaries. “Service users are the central focus of third sector providers. Putting the interests of users before institutions means that services are effective and innovative,” he said.