I found the Rowntree study, A minimum income standard for Britain in 2009, an extremely interesting document. The noble Lord, Lord Freud, has just mentioned it. One thing that it said was that a full-time earner on the minimum wage cannot achieve the minimum income standard, which it calculated as...

I found the Rowntree study, A minimum income standard for Britain in 2009, an extremely interesting document. The noble Lord, Lord Freud, has just mentioned it. One thing that it said was that a full-time earner on the minimum wage cannot achieve the minimum income standard, which it calculated as...

How about Coca-Cola as well?

How about Coca-Cola as well?

I acknowledge that, but we are talking about earning, and if minimum income standards were available today and if there were a government figure, that would demonstrate clearly that the minimum wage was not enough to reach the 60 per cent. That is a worry as well in terms of...

I acknowledge that, but we are talking about earning, and if minimum income standards were available today and if there were a government figure, that would demonstrate clearly that the minimum wage was not enough to reach the 60 per cent. That is a worry as well in terms of...

My Lords, the intention of this amendment is to explore the relationship between child poverty and child well-being. It is interesting to see how many experts tell us that child well-being as a whole is a more important measure than child poverty. Child poverty is an odd concept because we...

My Lords, the intention of this amendment is to explore the relationship between child poverty and child well-being. It is interesting to see how many experts tell us that child well-being as a whole is a more important measure than child poverty. Child poverty is an odd concept because we...

Does the noble Lord not agree that that is not the right question to ask? Having got the transfer of income to address the child poverty issue, the question is what we must do at the same time to ensure child well-being. These are not either/ors, but the noble Lord...

Does the noble Lord not agree that that is not the right question to ask? Having got the transfer of income to address the child poverty issue, the question is what we must do at the same time to ensure child well-being. These are not either/ors, but the noble Lord...

I just remind the noble Lord that, as well as low income and material deprivation targets, there is a persistent poverty target in the Bill, although we had a debate about whether that should be persistent material deprivation. I am not sure that we agreed to differ but we did...

I just remind the noble Lord that, as well as low income and material deprivation targets, there is a persistent poverty target in the Bill, although we had a debate about whether that should be persistent material deprivation. I am not sure that we agreed to differ but we did...

My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have taken part in the debate; it has been an important and significant period in the course of the Committee’s work. I have been particularly struck by the powerful medical evidence given by the noble Lord, Lord Rea, and the noble...

My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have taken part in the debate; it has been an important and significant period in the course of the Committee’s work. I have been particularly struck by the powerful medical evidence given by the noble Lord, Lord Rea, and the noble...

It may be premature to ask, but does the Minister have any sense of what the commission’s overall budget for research might be? What could be done will depend on that. She rightly said that the DWP commissions and produces much admirable research. It is well publicised and I think...

It may be premature to ask, but does the Minister have any sense of what the commission’s overall budget for research might be? What could be done will depend on that. She rightly said that the DWP commissions and produces much admirable research. It is well publicised and I think...

I not entirely clear what "subterranean" is, although I think I know what "quick-and-dirty" is. Will the commission be responsible for evaluating the effects of initiatives as well as research into why?

I not entirely clear what "subterranean" is, although I think I know what "quick-and-dirty" is. Will the commission be responsible for evaluating the effects of initiatives as well as research into why?

I am grateful to the Minister for that very clear explanation. On that basis, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 22 withdrawn. Amendment 23 not moved. Amendment 24 Moved by

I am grateful to the Minister for that very clear explanation. On that basis, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 22 withdrawn. Amendment 23 not moved. Amendment 24 Moved by

My Lords, this amendment gives us the opportunity to recognise the meticulous research work done by a number of units, up and down the country, on the topic of assessing minimum income needs. The University of York, the London School of Hygiene and Loughborough come to mind, and there are...

My Lords, this amendment gives us the opportunity to recognise the meticulous research work done by a number of units, up and down the country, on the topic of assessing minimum income needs. The University of York, the London School of Hygiene and Loughborough come to mind, and there are...

My Lords, we come to an important part of the Bill. As we know, in Clause 8, under the heading "UK strategies", subsection (2) clarifies what the Government are to do in driving towards the 2010 and 2020 targets. Subsection (2) sets out a twin strategy. It looks at the...

My Lords, we come to an important part of the Bill. As we know, in Clause 8, under the heading "UK strategies", subsection (2) clarifies what the Government are to do in driving towards the 2010 and 2020 targets. Subsection (2) sets out a twin strategy. It looks at the...

27: Clause 8, page 4, line 11, at end insert ", and ( ) for the purpose of ensuring as far as possible that households with children in the United Kingdom have the minimum incomes necessary to sustain a healthy diet, other necessities, safety and wellbeing for those children"

27: Clause 8, page 4, line 11, at end insert ", and ( ) for the purpose of ensuring as far as possible that households with children in the United Kingdom have the minimum incomes necessary to sustain a healthy diet, other necessities, safety and wellbeing for those children"

They are totally different categories.

They are totally different categories.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that answer. I pick up the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Rea, about the excellence of research in this country. We do have some of the best research in the world in this country in this area. The underlying concern in...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that answer. I pick up the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Rea, about the excellence of research in this country. We do have some of the best research in the world in this country in this area. The underlying concern in...

This is a very simple amendment. It is self-evident what it is trying to achieve. For better or for worse—and I do not expect the Minister to agree with me on this point—there has been a marked increase in the number of quangos, commissions, councils and committees under this Government....

This is a very simple amendment. It is self-evident what it is trying to achieve. For better or for worse—and I do not expect the Minister to agree with me on this point—there has been a marked increase in the number of quangos, commissions, councils and committees under this Government....

I thank the Minister for that response. However, the context in which we are discussing transparency has changed dramatically over the past six months, with all the media and public concern about payment for public office. Clearly, that concern has affected Members of both legislative Houses. To the extent that...

I thank the Minister for that response. However, the context in which we are discussing transparency has changed dramatically over the past six months, with all the media and public concern about payment for public office. Clearly, that concern has affected Members of both legislative Houses. To the extent that...

My immediate response to the noble Lord is that those Acts may not be talking about advisory bodies—that is, the status of the body in front of us today. As he will know, a number of different bodies—statutory bodies, advisory bodies and others—do not fall within either of those definitions....

My immediate response to the noble Lord is that those Acts may not be talking about advisory bodies—that is, the status of the body in front of us today. As he will know, a number of different bodies—statutory bodies, advisory bodies and others—do not fall within either of those definitions....

My Lords, as noble Lords will know, it is with some regret from my perspective that we do not have the chance to go back and debate the black economy—or informal economy—amendment again. Amendments 22 and 23 seek to insert in the Bill powers that appeared in several pieces of...

My Lords, as noble Lords will know, it is with some regret from my perspective that we do not have the chance to go back and debate the black economy—or informal economy—amendment again. Amendments 22 and 23 seek to insert in the Bill powers that appeared in several pieces of...

From memory, I think the figures showed that a lone female parent’s income declines by 28 per cent, whereas men’s income goes up by 4 per cent. I can be corrected on these figures.

From memory, I think the figures showed that a lone female parent’s income declines by 28 per cent, whereas men’s income goes up by 4 per cent. I can be corrected on these figures.