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Child Poverty Bill

My Lords, when I used to work in my party’s Whips Office I used to despair that some Peers working on Bills would be thrilled to have a concession from the Government of the day for an annual report to Parliament to be published. Was that really what being a parliamentarian was all about, I thought, just getting a concession of an annual report to Parliament? The Committee may therefore not be surprised that I am suspicious that in this Bill the Government have put in that requirement all by themselves. There is nothing in the Bill to ensure that the report will effectively see the light of day unless it is particularly hard-hitting, however, which would seriously compromise the accountability factor and, therefore, any subsequent action. Imagine this report being published on an exciting news day rather than a slow one. Unless it contained something truly startling, would it really make the ““Today”” programme? Under this amendment the Secretary of State would be obliged to take account of, "““any resolution of either House of Parliament, or … any report by a select committee of either House of Parliament, in response to the report laid under this section””." That way, the Government would have to respond to the report, and it would give all parliamentarians a chance to debate it. It would give as much accountability as possible, and would ensure that the report was not likely just to gather dust in a ministerial in-tray. I beg to move.