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Proceeding contribution from Lord Northbourne (Crossbench) in the House of Lords on Thursday, 21 January 2010. It occurred during Debate on bill and Committee proceeding on Child Poverty Bill.

Child Poverty Bill

My Lords, I am a little confused by the introduction to the amendment proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Freud, because he seems to have added a complication to the Bill. As I understood it, this is either a Bill about household income or it is a Bill about child poverty. However, the noble Lord has now introduced the idea of family poverty and family income. These days, families are not the same as households. They used to be but they are not today. We have to think clearly about what we are trying to do. Perhaps the noble Lord can clarify his thinking on this. I do not know whether it would be extending the debate too much if I mentioned Clause 7(2), which states: ""The Commission’s functions are those conferred on it … under this Act"." That is extremely relevant to what I have been saying. Can the Minister explain, perhaps in writing, exactly where in the Bill those functions are clearly set out, because I cannot find them in any unequivocal form?

Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
716 c216GC 
Session
2009-10
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords Grand Committee
Subjects
Disability Children Children in care Accountability Disadvantaged Costs Fraud Employment Families Education Households Low incomes Ministerial responsibility Public appointments Poverty Public bodies Public consultation Lone parents Statistics Social security benefits Welfare tax credits Training Travellers Tax evasion Self-employed Child Poverty Commission
Legislation
Child Poverty Bill 2008-09 to 2009-10
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk