Social enterprises given £75m boost

The Department of Health will spend £73m over the next four years promoting social enterprises in social care and health.

Care services minister Ivan Lewis said the money would support capital projects. He added that the DH was still in talks with the Treasury on funding to stimulate social enterprises in the two sectors from 2007-11.

Lewis was also due to announce 25 projects that would benefit from £1.1m from the DH’s social enterprise fund to help with set-up costs, training and business advice.