SOCIAL ECONOMY ALLIANCE

That this House welcomes the Social Economy Alliance, a new voice on the economy, made up of more than 20 respected social and co-operative enterprises, universities, think tanks, social finance and housing associations; recognises that social and economic policy must be mutually reinforcing and that the UK can foster bottom-up economic growth and take advantage of the many innovations the social sector has created; further recognises that social enterprises and co-operatives are outperforming mainstream businesses and that alternative banks have better returns on assets as well as lower volatility and higher growth, and that these organisations are economically successful while having a positive impact on society and the environment; and calls on the Government to ensure much greater alignment between social and economic policy-making to meet the needs of communities around the UK.