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Big Society Agenda

Often, big society and charity are about bringing relief, and I suspect that the Division bell might bring some relief shortly. I will bear that in mind while I speak. In Northern Ireland, while the big society is important, our priority right now is to create one society, hence the concept of the shared future. Moreover, the Minister has, in fairness, referred to the social investment fund, which is about targeting investment at parts of our community that are still divided, where the peace walls prevent the creation of one society. Perhaps we should talk about the mindsets that necessitate those peace walls, and about the work that needs to be done within those communities to build the trust and confidence that are necessary to create the one society that we believe offers the hope of a future free from the conflict of the past. I think that the big society has a role to play in creating that one society in Northern Ireland, and I welcome the Minister’s enthusiasm. On a personal level, I appreciate the commitment that the Minister has given to his role in Northern Ireland. We certainly recognise and appreciate that. Creating one society in Northern Ireland and the big society can go hand in hand, as we encourage people to volunteer and get involved in their community. The social investment fund is designed to build capacity within communities designated as harder to reach, where people perhaps feel at times isolated from the political process and from the peace process. Looking at how we can encourage more people in such communities to get involved in what is going on in their community and, indeed, across communities and across the political divide is something that adds an extra dimension to the concept of the big society in Northern Ireland. The Minister has referred to the role of faith-based organisations in developing the big society, and right hon. and hon. Members have also referred to it in their interventions. It is something that we, as a party, feel strongly about.