Read the latest government consultation responses from SEC
The Social Enterprise Coalition's (SEC) policy team have this month published several responses to a number of recent Government consultations and inquiries that affect the social enterprise sector.
SEC's response to the Government Consultation on the Regional Growth Fund, the £1billion programme created to support economic growth in areas hit by public spending cuts, recommends that bids to the fund be evaluated according to the social and environmental impact they could have on communities, highlighting tools such as Social Return on Investment (SROI) as a useful means of assessing bids. The response also emphasises the potential of social enterprise to 'play a key role in regional growth and in counter-balancing some of the impact of public sector cutbacks'.
SEC's contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee Inquiry on Youth Unemployment and the Future Jobs Fund provides case studies of successes of the Fund, outlining its strengths, and identifies areas of weakness. The response comments on the government's proposed transition from the Future Jobs Fund to its new Work Programme, emphasising that social enterprise should play a continuing role in the Programme, but will require greater clarity around how they can get involved.
In its response to the Joint Cabinet Office-BIS Task Force on Cutting Red Tape consultation, SEC highlights a number of areas where red tape creates barriers for social enterprise, focusing on five key areas; inconsistent application of business rates relief for social enterprises; clawback restrictions where public funds are used to fund social enterprise assets; CRB checks for enterprises employing vulnerable adults; TUPE and pensions and PPQ's and other such procurement barriers.
To read SEC's latest consultation responses in full visit the Social Enterprise Coalition website.