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| Minister
for third sector recognises contribution of social enterprise |
18/05/06 |
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Ed
Miliband, the newly appointed minister for the third sector, has revealed
that social enterprises now contribute £8.4 billion a year to the
UK economy.
Leading a conversation with social entrepreneurs in London just a week after
his appointment to the post, Miliband said that the figure means social
enterprise now accounts for 1% of the GDP.
“Social enterprises are transforming the way business is done and
helping communities up and down the country,” the minister said. “The
new figures released today highlight the significant impact this sector
is having on society and the economy in the UK.”
The figures were been taken from the government’s annual survey of
small businesses, due to be published later in the summer. It is the first
time that social enterprises have been included in the survey, which now
looks at a wider spectrum of organisations.
Miliband said the figures revealed the “sheer size” of the sector
and illustrated why Prime Minister Tony Blair had created an Office of the
Third Sector.
The Social Enterprise Coalition welcomed the figures, but said organisations
would have to continue to work closely with the Department of Trade and
Industry, and the Regional Development Agencies, if the sector was to continue
to expand.
“Clearly there is scope for the social enterprise sector to grow and
play a bigger role in the economy,” said the coalition’s chief
executive Jonathan Bland. “But to do that we need to create the right
kind of business environment.”
The minister addressed social entrepreneurs at the Hoxton Apprentice, a
restaurant that trains the long-term unemployed and has created 120 jobs.
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