|
Memorandum submitted by CPAG, Save the Children, Barnardo's and Gingerbread (CP 11)
This memorandum is from Kate Green of Child Poverty Action Group, Fergus Drake of Save the Children, Neera Sharma of Barnardo's, and Kate Bell of Gingerbread, who each appeared as witnesses to the Public Bill Committee on Tuesday 20 October 2009. We were asked to respond to the Committee with our views on Clause 19 of the Child Poverty Bill which relates to partner authorities. Each of our organisations is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty.
1. Responsible local authorities
1.1 The Bill provides that responsible local authorities must promote cooperation to reduce child poverty between the authority, each of its partner authorities and 'such other persons or bodies as the authority sees fit' (Clause 20).
1.2 Responsible authorities are those which put together Local Area Agreements (LAAs). The Campaign to End Child Poverty believes that as responsible authorities have clear democratic accountability it is appropriate for them to have the additional role of leading cooperation to reduce child poverty.
2. Partner authorities
2.1 Partner authorities appear to be largely consistent with those already involved in LAAs, as provided for under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. Partners listed in that Act which have no direct role in tackling child poverty are not included as partner authorities in the Child Poverty Bill, such as National Parks and Fire Authorities.
2.2 Clause 22 of the Bill provides that the joint child poverty strategy for each local area 'must set out the measures that the responsible local authority and each partner authority propose to take for the purpose of reducing, and mitigating the effects of, child poverty in the responsible local authority's area'. The Campaign to End Child Poverty believes that as the Bill clearly requires each partner authority to set out in the strategy what it will do to reduce child poverty it would not be practical to include a very long list of partner authorities.
2.3 Members of the Child Poverty Bill Committee asked whether mental health trusts should be listed as partner authorities. The Campaign to End Child Poverty agrees with the Committee that parental mental ill health is a major contributing factor to child poverty. We note that Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities are listed in Clause 19 (2) as partner authorities, and suggest that these are the appropriate bodies to hold responsibility for setting out their role in the reduction of child poverty as they are commissioning bodies rather than providers.
3. Local and central government discretion
3.1 The Campaign to End Child Poverty believes that a certain degree of flexibility and discretion should be allowed to local authorities in determining which bodies are consulted in setting their child poverty strategy.
3.2 We therefore support Clause 20 (1) (c) which provides for the responsible local authorities to consult with 'such other persons or bodies as the authority sees fit'. This has the effect that bodies not listed as partner authorities will still be able input into the strategy should the responsible local authority find their contribution useful, and seems a sensible catch-all approach.
3.3 The Campaign to End Child Poverty also supports Clause 19 (6), which gives the Secretary of State the power to add or remove from the list of partner authorities. This means that no future government is bound to adhere to the specific list in Clause 19 (2).
October 2009 |