Cable quizzes Lewis

12.42.21pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 24th Jul 2008

• 'IS the Minister actively promoting the Sunderland model of social enterprise . . ?'

[Jul 22] Vincent Cable (Deputy Party Leader; Twickenham, Liberal Democrat): Is the Minister actively promoting the Sunderland model of social enterprise, which has been used to organise community nursing and is proving to be a much more satisfactory alternative than privatisation, which would undermine the tradition of public services?

Ivan Lewis (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; Bury South, Labour): It is not my job to actively encourage one model against another. If something is working, clearly making a difference and achieving better outcomes for patients, we need to ensure that information about that model is available across the system. As part of Lord Darzi's report, we have, for the first time, given staff the right to request the chance to set up a social enterprise. We have also introduced new arrangements for pension provision for existing staff who wish to become part of a social enterprise. Essentially, we have removed many of the obstacles and the barriers that in the past have prevented staff who wanted to take that option from doing so. We will certainly look at the model that the hon. Gentleman mentions, and where we can learn from it we will share best practice.