Nick Hurd, minister for civil society, has called on businesses to improve their links with charities, accusing firms of being mainly absent from the debate on the future of civil society.

Hurd was speaking at an event on the relationship between businesses and charities held by broadcaster Sky and environmental charity Global Action Plan.

According to the Business Green website he told delegates that the reduction of the state meant businesses and charities would have to work closer to deliver services.

Commenting on the Big Society agenda, Hurd said ministers’ main role would be to contribute to the atmosphere surrounding the concept, leaving business and charities to lead the Tories' vision of a civil society-led public service provision.

He added that businesses had not even begun to tap the surface of what could be achieved by working with charities to deliver programmes that could, for example, help improve environmental performance or tackle social problems.
 
"Business up to now has been almost entirely absent from that debate, that partnership," he said, arguing that businesses needed to realise there were hard commercial reasons for them to promote civil society schemes and encourage volunteering among their workforce, including an increased reputation and better skills development.

Business Green also reported that Hurd presented the central philosophy behind the Big Society as a desire to get people to "reconnect with the fact we all have responsibilities beyond paying tax, obeying the law and maximizing profits for shareholders".