Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Ruane Excerpts
Wednesday 2nd March 2011

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Chris Ruane Portrait Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab)
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Will the big society bank give grants as well as loans, and will the loans be set at commercial or preferential rates?

Lord Maude of Horsham Portrait Mr Maude
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The big society bank will not make grants. It is a bank, so it will make loans and provide investment capital for this important and growing sector. One of the problems in the social investment market has been that Futurebuilders was able to give both grants and loans, which was very distorting for the large and growing number of intermediaries in that market. The bank should be an investment organisation, not a giver of grants.