Ian Allsop talks to the charities minister, Paul Goggins MP.

As the latest in a long line of parliamentary undersecretaries at the Home Office with the voluntary sector as part of their brief, Paul Goggins can at least point to a career in the sector as evidence of his commitment. Goggins has been MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East since May 1997 but initially trained as a social worker.

"After college I didn't have a clue  what I wanted to do but decided on balance to work in the social care field." He spent 15 years with Catholic social services in Liverpool working with young offenders and families.

In 1984, he joined NCH as a director of a community based alternative to custody for juvenile offenders. "Here I saw the sector at its best. Government wanted to invest in the initiative and we were able to pick it up and run with it very quickly. It was very exciting. There were a number of these projects round country, and we were able to network staff so we learnt from each other."

After five years he became director of Church Action on Poverty, a national church-based campaigning organisation. "Here I learned about the empowerment role of the sector, and about giving the poor a voice. An important part of process was bringing the unemployed face to face with policy makers and engaging them in the process that way."

He identifies the major difference between the sector now and when he initially worked in it as confidence and competence. "People no longer feel they are on the periphery, but are very proud of what they do and rightly so. The level of expertise is higher."

There are three core characteristics that he says he always looks for in voluntary and community organisations (VCOs). "Firstly, VCOs can have a far wider reach than other organisations, they can reach out to the most excluded, disadvantaged and needy people in our society. I have seen that happen, and it is something to be cherished."

Secondly, he thinks that ideas that develop in the sector are bottom up ideas where innovation is linked to real needs. "It doesn't happen because some bright spark in the Home Office or a minister thinks it's a good idea, it happens because people at ground level decide they want to make a difference and build it up that way."

The third is the confidence and experience VCOs have in running public services.

"Even if you are a large voluntary organisation fit for purpose, ready to deliver large scale public services, I still look for where the innovation is, how they are reaching out and connecting with the poorest, weakest and most marginalised."

Warming to the public service delivery theme, Goggins says that it is not just a question of "here is another organisation, be it public, private or voluntary".

"What are the characteristics of the voluntary sector that make the way that service is delivered look and feel more effective? Voluntary organisations, where appropriate, need to grow to scale and bid in to run public services. What they can add is important. I want to see a difference in the way services are managed and operated. I want to see more user involvement in how services are put together. This links to the civil renewal agenda. With a voluntary organisation may come volunteers, and a new way of engaging with local communities, which can add real value to the services provided. We don't expect every voluntary organisation to contract with government, but equally, there are organisations itching to do it and they need better opportunities."

He strongly refutes the view that government sees the sector as just a sub-contractor of the state. "The only way that argument holds is if we were trying to get things done on the cheap. But if you look at what we are doing with Compact Plus you will see the reverse. We are trying to make sure there is appropriate and transparent funding. We are not out to get the cheapest deal but to get added value.

He points to a ten fold increase in funding since 1997 as evidence of serious investment in the sector. "The manner in which we are bringing investment to bear is important. It is investment for the future rather than handouts for the moment. It is a big change in mentality for all of us. It is not just about surviving hand to mouth but investment in the capacity to deliver in the long run."

Although Goggins had been involved in politics as an "activist councillor" in Salford during the 1990s, he acknowledges that moving into government was a big change. "I have realised the potential that government has to make a difference. I also understand more powerfully than ever that solutions are out there in neighbourhoods and communities. The job of government is to enable and support them and not just think that all answers are top down".

He feels that a key element of his job is linked to Hazel Blears' work on strong and safe communities. "By linking the crime agenda with the social agenda and across government, you get coherence to all of this, which from a sector's point of view is important. It gets it closer to the mainstream and centre of decision making."

The main thing that has grabbed Goggins' attention and imagination in the early months of his role is how generous people are, both with money and time. "My ambition is that through volunteer and giving initiatives, we can do more to tap into the generous streak that is there. We need to work with the grain of this to give people better opportunities to give time and money. It's not just about shoring up gaps in services, but about how people can get involved and engaged in providing solutions, not just standing on the touchline and moaning there is a problem."

He touches on the role of young people in volunteering and the aims of the Russell Commission. He thinks that young people are and want to be engaged as volunteers. "We want to increase numbers by a million and have every reason to be optimistic. It is a huge opportunity and if we can get that into the minds of young people it will be a fantastic bit of development and formation.

While this is perhaps tacit acknowledgement that there is clearly more to the sector than public service delivery, Goggins does return to the issue. "The one thing I want to emphasise is that I am absolutely determined to deliver on our commitment to enable VCOs to play a key role in delivering public services. I am engaged in discussions with ministers across government to look at ways in which this can be done on a bigger scale than before. It is something we have talked about quite a bit, and is a great aspiration shared by the sector and government. We have got to now turn it into reality. I regard it as an important priority."

He concludes by praising a lively sector, where there always something happening. "It is a constant reminder of innovation and effort spent engaging with problems, and is really encouraging."