Big Society to 'empower people'

The Big Society will enable people to have greater control over their local communities, according to Civil Society Minister Nick Hurd.

Prime Minister David Cameron is set to give a speech saying it is his mission in politics to make the Big Society succeed, amid claims it is being wrecked by spending cuts.

Mr Cameron will set out details of how a £200m Big Society bank, to fund voluntary projects, will work but critics say the fund will not be nearly enough to make up for cuts in local authority funding.