Miliband was speaking at the sector’s annual conference, Voice 07, along with ministers from the departments of Health, Education and Skills and Trade and Industry. All four ministers set out what they saw as the immediate progress made in delivering on commitments made in the action plan.

That progress outline spanned the four departments and included: the Department of Health providing a £73 million fund, spread over four years, for supporting and encouraging the development of social enterprises in health and social care; DfES working with the QCA to get social enterprise incorporated into the business studies curriculum; the DTI undertaking a major simplification of available support to businesses; and the OTS preparing to make £10 million available for co-investment with the private sector in social enterprises.

Miliband said that by working together as partners, government and social enterprises could bring about a fairer society, changing people’s lives for the better. “What excites me most about social enterprise is its ability to be the vanguard for a social movement,” he said. “The vision is this: private and public sectors profoundly changed by social enterprise.”

Minister for Care Services, Ivan Lewis, described social enterprises as having a key role in the reform of how health and community services were delivered, adding: “We are underpinning these reforms with proper financial backing.”

To see the original action plan visit www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/social_enterprise