Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the value of (a) financial and (n) non-financial support provided by his-her= Department to the Big Society Network since 2010.

My Department has not awarded any contract or provided any office space to the Big Society Network.

Five members of staff were informally seconded to the Network during the summer/autumn of 2010, assisting with projects such as participatory budgeting and the Big Lunch. There was no direct cost to the Department of these placements; the notional value of the staff time in 2010 was in the region of £25,000 to £30,000.

Secondments help staff get experience of outside sectors, bringing back new knowledge and skills to the Department. We have seconded staff to similar organisations on a temporary basis, such as Barnados, the Children's Society and the Prince's Trust.