CO-OPERATIVES FORTNIGHT 2010

That this House welcomes the first ever Co-operatives Fortnight from 19 June to 3 July 2010; notes the resurgence in the UK co-operative movement, which now contributes £30 billion a year to the country's economy and employs over 200,000 people; recognises the benefits of applying co-operative values and principles; and calls on Government to ensure that it treats co-operatives equally with other types of business and continues to work closely with the co-operative movement so that co-operative and mutual solutions play a significant and growing part in an innovative, sustainable and competitive UK economy.