Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps is he taking through the Office for the Impact Economy to increase the the size of the co-operative sector.

This Government recognises the enormous value of the co-operative sector.

The Office of Impact Economy, working with departments including the Department for Business and Trade, mobilises and scales partnerships between the impact economy, places and government around core shared objectives in support of national renewal.

Co-operatives and mutuals play an important part in helping to create jobs, retain employment and build wealth locally, and the Department for Business and Trade is supporting the government’s manifesto commitment to double the size of the sector. In addition to this, the Office for the Impact Economy unlocks the impact economy’s potential, making partnerships between the government and this sector easier to start and deliver.