47

House of Commons

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Child Poverty Bill

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Note

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the

Committee [20 October 2009].

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

59

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  10,  at end insert—

‘(e)	the reductions in the causes of poverty targets in section [The reductions

in the causes of poverty targets].’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

21

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  11,  at end insert—

‘(3)	The Secretary of State shall also ensure that interim targets for child poverty are

met in relation to the United Kingdom in the financial year beginning with 1 April

2015, where such interim targets are specified by the Child Poverty

Commission.’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

22

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  13,  leave out ‘10’ and insert ‘5’.

Public Bill Committee: 27 October 2009

48

Child Poverty Bill, continued

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

13

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  13,  leave out from ‘of’ to ‘fall’ in line 14 and insert

‘qualifying households’.

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

14

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  3,  leave out from ‘of’ to ‘fall’ in line 4 and insert ‘qualifying

households’.

Ms Sally Keeble

17

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  5,  at end insert ‘, and

(c)	experience bad housing conditions.’.

Ms Sally Keeble

18

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  12,  at end add—

‘(4)	Regulations must specify the circumstances in which a child is to be regarded for

the purposes of subsection (1) (c) as experiencing bad housing conditions.’.

Ms Sally Keeble

19

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  12,  at end add—

‘(4)	Regulations must specify the circumstances in which a child is to be regarded for

the purposes of subsection (1) (b) as experiencing material deprivation in relation

to housing.’.

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

15

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  14,  leave out from ‘of’ to ‘within’ in line 15 and insert

‘qualifying households fall’.

Public Bill Committee: 27 October 2009

49

Child Poverty Bill, continued

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

16

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  29,  leave out from ‘of’ to ‘households’ in line 31 and insert

‘qualifying’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

23

Clause  5,  page  2,  line  37,  leave out ‘2015’ and insert ‘2012’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

24

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘(f)	The publication of analysis of the sensitivity of the estimates of child

poverty under sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 to the methodological assumptions

which underlie those estimates.’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

25

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘(f)	How poverty among children who are not included in household surveys

is to be assessed.’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

26

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘(f)	How the statistical surveys used to calculate poverty rates are to be re-

weighted to reflect under-reporting of specified groups.’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

28

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  14,  leave out subsection (2).

Steve Webb

John Barrett

27

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  18,  at end add ‘and the costs associated with disability.’.

Public Bill Committee: 27 October 2009

50

Child Poverty Bill, continued

Steve Webb

John Barrett

48

Clause  7,  page  3,  leave out lines 29 to 32.

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

9

Schedule  1,  page  16,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

The appointment of the chair under sub-paragraph (1)(a) must be approved by

a resolution of the House of Commons within three months of the appointment.

(1B)	Before appointing a chair under subparagraph (1)(a), the Secretary of State

must consult the Treasury, Work and Pensions, and Children, Schools and

Families Committees of the House of Commons, or their successors.’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

49

Schedule  1,  page  17,  line  20,  at end insert ‘The sums under 9(c) shall include

resources to commission independent research as required.’.

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

10

Schedule  1,  page  17,  line  24,  at end insert—

‘(2)	All such remuneration, allowances and expenses must be published monthly

online.’.

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

1

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  21,  at end insert ‘and the promotion of economic enterprise’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

52

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  22,  at end insert ‘and family and friends carers who take on

the care of a child for more than 28 days per year in the following circumstances:

‘(i)	where the child comes to live with the carer as a result of plans

made within a section 47 Children Act 1989 child protection

enquiry; or

(ii)	where a child comes to live with the carer following a section 37

Children Act 1989 investigation;

Public Bill Committee: 27 October 2009

51

Child Poverty Bill, continued

(iii)

where a carer has secured a Residence Order or Special

Guardianship Order to avoid a child being looked after, and there

is professional evidence of the impairment of the parents’ ability

to care for the child; and/or

(iv)	where the carer has a Residence Order or Special Guardianship

Order arising out of care proceedings; or

(v)	where the carer has a Residence Order or Special Guardianship

Order following the accommodation of a child,’.

Ms Karen Buck

64

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  22,  at end insert ‘and family and friends carers who take on

the care of a child for more than 28 days in the following circumstances:

(a)	where the child comes to live with the carer as a result of plans made

within a section 47 Children Act 1989 child protection enquiry; or

(b)	where a child comes to live with the carer following a section 37 Children

Act 1989 investigation;

(c)	where a carer has secured a Residence Order or Special Guardianship

Order to avoid a child being looked after, and there is professional

evidence of the impairment of the parents’ ability to care for the child;

and/or

(d)	where the carer has a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order

arising out of care proceedings; or

(e)	where the carer has a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order

following the accommodation of a child.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This would require the Secretary of State to consider what measures ought to be taken re the

provision of financial support for family and friends carers who are raising children because the

parent is unable to care for the child and there is judicial or professional evidence to verify this.

Ms Karen Buck

50

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  23,  after ‘education’, insert ‘childcare’.

Member’s explanatory statement

To strengthen the scope of building blocks to ensure that the provision of childcare services which

are delivered within a mixed market are included in the measures taken, and to ensure that funding

for and delivery of childcare services are safeguarded despite wider economic difficulties.

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

58

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  23,  after ‘services’, insert ‘and improving the well-being of

children’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

30

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  24,  after ‘housing,’, insert ‘transport,’.

Public Bill Committee: 27 October 2009

52

Child Poverty Bill, continued

Mr David Gauke

Andrew Selous

Mr John Baron

2

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  25,  at end insert—

‘(e)	reducing family breakdown

(f)	assisting children in families with disabilities

(g)	assisting children from minority ethnic backgrounds.’.

Ms Sally Keeble

20

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  25,  at end insert ‘, and

(e)	the criminal justice system.’.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

47

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  25,  at end add—

‘(e)	childcare’.

Mr Graham Stuart

60

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  25,  at end add—

‘(e)	the development of specific policies to tackle child poverty in rural

areas.’.

Ms Sally Keeble

67

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  25,  at end insert ‘, and

(e)	the provision of services for looked after children.’.

Ms Sally Keeble

68

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  25,  at end insert ‘, and

(e)	the provision of services for children of asylum and immigration.’.

Ms Karen Buck

51

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  16,  at end insert—

‘(3A)

If after receiving advice from the Commission the Secretary of State lays before

Parliament a strategy or a revised strategy, he shall lay with the strategy or the

revised strategy a copy of the advice from the Commission and a statement

showing:

(a)	the extent to which he has, in framing the strategy, given effect to the

advice of the Commission; and

(b)	in so far as effect has not been given to the advice of the Commission, his

reasons why not.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

To require the Government to explain to what extent it has decided to follow any recommendations

Public Bill Committee: 27 October 2009

53

Child Poverty Bill, continued

made by the Commission, and where it decides not to take the Commission’s advice, its reasons

for this.

Steve Webb

John Barrett

56

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  22,  leave out ‘or’ and insert ‘and’.

Mr Stephen Timms

33

Clause  10,  page  6,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘( )	The Scottish Ministers must, on or before each report date relating to a Scottish

strategy, lay before the Scottish Parliament a report which—

(a)	describes the measures taken by the Scottish Ministers in accordance

with the Scottish strategy,

(b)	describes the effect of those measures in contributing to the meeting of

the targets in sections 2 to 5, and

(c)	describes other effects of those measures that contribute to the

achievement of the purpose mentioned in subsection (2)(b).

( )	The report dates relating to a Scottish strategy are each anniversary of the day on

which it was laid before the Scottish Parliament, other than an anniversary which

falls—

(a)	on or after the date on which a subsequent Scottish strategy is so laid, or

(b)	after the end of the target year.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment requires the Scottish Ministers to lay before the Scottish Parliament an annual

report describing how measures taken in accordance with the current Scottish strategy have

contributed to meeting the targets and to ensuring that children in Scotland do not experience

socio-economic disadvantage.

Mr Stephen Timms

34

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  32,  leave out ‘relevant Northern Ireland department

proposes’ and insert ‘Northern Ireland departments propose’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment replaces the reference to the relevant Northern Ireland department with a

reference to the Northern Ireland departments. The intention is to recognise that departments

other than the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister will take measures in

accordance with the Northern Ireland strategy.

Mr Stephen Timms

35

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  44,  leave out ‘relevant Northern Ireland department

intends’ and insert ‘Northern Ireland departments intend’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member’s explanatory statement for amendment 34.

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Revised 27 October 2009