Financial assistance related to provision of health or social care services
Section 154: Arrangements with other third parties
522.Section 154 allows the Secretary of State to make arrangements for a third party, other than those NHS bodies set out in section 153(1) or an English local authority, to give financial support to a qualifying body or a person wanting to set up such a body, or to carry on functions relating to such support. These functions can be completely carried out by a qualifying third party, or to the extent set out in the arrangements, and can be carried out generally, or in specific cases. These arrangements made between the Secretary of State and the third party may set out the terms on which the third party can give financial support, including the types of support that can be given. The section also provides for the Secretary of State to provide the necessary funding to the third party and for provision to be made as to repayment (for example if the arrangements came to an end.)
523.The reason for excluding local authorities is because they have sufficient powers to fund social enterprises and have their own legislative structure. The reason for excluding NHS bodies set out in section 153(1) is that separate arrangements for these bodies are already set out in that section. The provisions in the Act are designed to give the Secretary of State and NHS bodies the necessary wider powers to fund social enterprises.
