PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE RELATING
TO THE REPORT
TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2001
Members present:
Mr Archy Kirkwood, in the Chair
Ms Karen Buck
Mr Andrew Dismore
Mrs Joan Humble |
Dr Doug Naysmith
Mrs Ann Winterton |
The Committee deliberated.
Draft Report, [The Social Fund], proposed by the
Chairman, brought up and read.
Paragraphs 1 to 10 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 11 to 13 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 14 to 16 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 17 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 18 to 23 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 24 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 25 to 35 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 36 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 37 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 38 and 39 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 40 to 42 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 43 to 45 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 46 to 51 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 52 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 53 and 54 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 55 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 56 to 63 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 64 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 65 to 70 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 71 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 72 to 75 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 76 to 78 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 79 to 84 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 85 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 86 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 87 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 88 and 89 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 90 and 91 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 92 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 93 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 94 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 95 and 96 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 97 to 107 read and agreed to.
Paragraph 108 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraphs 109 to 113 read and agreed to.
Paragraphs 114 and 115 read, amended and agreed to.
Paragraph 116 read, as follows:
Various suggestions were put forward by witnesses
for the extension of grants. Professor Gary Craig drew our attention
to his 1992 study which had proposed inter alia regular
grants, without application, to all Income Support claimants.
We are attracted to the idea of automatic grants to people
on Income Support and income-based JSA, a system which already
applies to Winter Fuel Payments, because they ensure that grants
are evenly distributed to those eligible, thus overcoming one
of the Minister's key objections to grants. We recommend that
the Government give consideration, in particular, to the award
of automatic grants to families with children, at certain key
birthdays, for example, 5 years and 11 years. Professor Craig
also recommended grants linked to life events such as births,
deaths and setting-up home. NACAB similarly proposed grants linked
to 'milestone events' such as setting up home, moving to a new
school, pregnancy and home safety problems. While we think
it unlikely that the government will wish to shift the balance
totally away from loans to grants, we believe there is merit in
grants for life and milestone events, based on a system of clear
entitlements rather than through a budget limited system. We recommend
that the Government give serious consideration to making grants
more readily available in these circumstances.
Paragraph disagreed to.
Paragraphs 117 and 118 (now 116 and 117) read, amended
and agreed to.
Paragraph 119 (now 118) read and agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report,
as amended, be the Third Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chairman
do make the Report to the House.
Ordered, That the provisions
of Standing Order No. 134 (Select Committees (reports)) be applied
to the Report.
Several papers were ordered to be appended to the
Minutes of Evidence.
Ordered, That the Appendices
to the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee be reported
to the House.-(The Chairman).
Several Memoranda were ordered to be reported to
the House.
[Adjourned to a date and time to be fixed by the
Chairman.
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