House of Commons - Work and Pensions - Second Report

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House of Commons

Session 2003-04
Publications on the internet
Work and Pensions Committee Publications

Work and Pensions - Second Report

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 31 March 2004.

CONTENTS

Terms of Reference

Report
Report highlights
1 The Inquiry
2 Our approach
3 Background

Extent of child poverty
The child poverty targets
Monitoring child poverty
Child poverty and devolution
Causes of child poverty
Worklessness
Transitions
Income adequacy

4 The definition and measurement of child poverty

The Government approach
Households Below Average Income
Opportunity For All
The UK National Action Plan on Social Inclusion
Measuring child poverty
What is the target?
Housing costs
Change in the equivalence scale
The poverty threshold

5 The impact of poverty upon children

Hardship, deprivation and social exclusion
Severe and persistent poverty
Children's perspectives on poverty
The costs of participation in education
School uniforms
Free school meals

6 Household finances: debts and the Social Fund

Household debt
Social Fund
Benefits and tax credits administration
Child Trust Fund

7 The Government's anti-poverty strategy

Cross-Government anti-poverty strategies
Recent policy initiatives and the child poverty rate
The Pre-Budget Report and employment opportunities for parents
The Pre-Budget Report and financial support for families
The effect of policy initiatives on the child poverty rate

8 The Government's employment strategy

Lone parents
The lone parent employment target
Lone parent employment initiatives
Disabled parents
Child poverty and the disability employment target
Minority ethnic groups

9 Childcare and life chances

Childcare, the Pre-Budget Report and the Budget
Children's Centres
Universal or targetted childcare provision?
The childcare workforce
The childcare element of Working Tax Credit
Childcare - the way forward?
Sure Start and support for parents
Support for parents to stay at home

10 Future support for children

Universal benefits
Targetted benefits
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit
Large families
Child support
Options for 2010

11 Area-based child poverty

Child poverty rates by country
Child poverty in Northern Ireland
Child poverty and income deprivation by district, ward and region
Child poverty in London
Worklessness and lone parents in London
High costs of living in London
Transport costs
Child poverty and ethnicity in London

12 Mainstreaming child poverty

Reasons for concern
Departmental progress on mainstreaming
The distribution of expenditure on (poor) children

13 Conclusion
Conclusions and recommendations
Formal Minutes
Witnesses
Annex 1

Table 1: Opportunity for All Indicators for Children and Young People
Table 2: Comparison of equivalence scales

Annex 2

Summary of Tom Sefton's work
Education
Health
Social Services
Housing
Targetted Initiatives

Annex 3

PARIS
COPENHAGEN

Annex 4 Note of Committee Visit to Belfast - 21-22 January 2004

ORAL EVIDENCE
Wednesday 19 November 2003
Wednesday 10 December 2003
Wednesday 17 December 2003
Wednesday 14 January 2004
Wednesday 28 January 2004
Wednesday 4 February 2004
Wednesday 11 February 2004
Wednesday 25 February 2004
WRITTEN EVIDENCE

© Parliamentary copyright 2004
Prepared 23 April 2004