Incomes and poverty

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on incomes and poverty. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
25.10.2011	Agricultural incomes and subsidies: Social Indicators page
	Agricultural incomes and subsidies: Social Indicators page. By Oliver Hawkins and Rachael Harker. SN/SG/2613.
25.10.2011	Pensions and pensioners' incomes: Social Indicators page
	A summary of trends in pensioners' incomes.
31.12.2010	Regional house prices: affordability and income ratios
	Regional house prices: affordability and income ratios. By Rachael Harker. SN/SG/1922. This note provides data on the affordability of houses in England and Wales and house price to income ratios for regions of the United Kingdom
10.06.2010	Child Poverty Act 2010: a short guide
	The Child Poverty Act 2010, which received Royal Assent on 25 March 2010, fulfilled the Labour Government's commitment made in September 2008 to enshrine in legislation the target of 'eradicating' child poverty by 2020
30.04.2010	Global Economic Crisis & developing countries
	This note was last published on 26 August 2009 and will not be updated. In the early stages of the financial crisis there were hopes that it would be largely contained within developed economies, with developing economies having 'decoupled' from them. These early hopes proved unfounded, with developing countries struck by declining trade, a loss of investor confidence and withdrawal of investment, a fall in the value of vital remittances, and much reduced growth and contraction in some cases. There are also fears that aid flows may suffer in the aftermath of the crisis. This note summarises key reports and statistics, with links to further resources.

Research Papers

Date	Description
18.11.2010	Savings Account and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill: Committee Stage Report
	The Bill gives effect to decisions made as part of the initial review of public expenditure undertaken soon after the 2010 General Election. This Paper summarises proceedings in the Commons Committee Stage of the Bill. Several amendments proposed but none were successful. The paper complements Research Paper 10/66, which was prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill.
24.02.2010	Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill [Bill 21 of 2009-10]
	The Bill seeks to amend the 2007 Act by setting a deadline for the Secretary of State to initiate the next round of proposals for enhancing the sustainability of local communities from local authorities under the Act. It provides for regulations to be made specifying the rules for this process. These are also to cover parish council involvement and the role of local petitioning. There is also provision for greater flexibility in decision-making on proposals.
03.12.2009	Child Poverty Bill: Committee Stage Report. Bill 10 2009-10.
	The Bill fulfils the Government's commitment made in September 2008 to enshrine the 2020 child poverty target in legislation. It establishes four separate child poverty targets to be met by 2020/21, requires the UK Government to publish a regular UK child poverty strategy, requires the Scottish and Northern Irish Ministers to publish child poverty strategies, establishes a Child Poverty Commission to provide advice, requires the UK Government to publish annual progress reports, and places new duties on local authorities and other 'delivery partners'' in England to work together to tackle child poverty.
30.06.2009	Child Poverty Bill. Bill 112 of 2008-09
	This briefing on the Child Poverty Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons.
23.02.2009	Saving Gateway Accounts Bill : Committee Stage report (Bill 3 of 2008-09)
	This short Bill establishes a government subsidised savings scheme for people of working age on low incomes. The Saving Gateway has been trialled in several regions; the Bill establishes a scheme for the whole of the country.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
27.01.2010	Enforcement of the national minimum wage in Scotland.
	Government response. Scotland Office; Scottish Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
15.12.2009	Top pay in the public sector.
	Public Administration Select Committee report [Commons]
10.11.2009	Legislative scrutiny: Child Poverty Bill.
	Human Rights Joint Select Committee report [Commons and Lords]
14.10.2009	Enforcement of the national minimum wage in Scotland.
	Scottish Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
08.10.2009	Energy efficiency and fuel poverty.
	Government response. Department of Energy and Climate Change report [Commons]

POST Papers

Date	Description
01.03.2009	Delaying gratification, March 2009
	This POSTnote looks at the influence of time in decision making, and looks at the implications for policy domains such as pensions, health and consumer affairs.

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
13.10.2011	WINTER FUEL PAYMENT
	That this House recognises the serious problem of fuel poverty in the UK, especially amongst older people; acknowledges the adverse impact that rising fuel bills are likely to have ...
04.05.2011	INCOME INEQUALITY
	That this House notes the findings of the Equality Trust that societies with smaller income differences between rich and poor have fewer health and social problems, such as teenage ...
31.03.2011	ROYAL PALACE CLEANERS AND THE LONDON LIVING WAGE
	That this House notes that the Royal Family currently receive 30 million annually from the public purse, in part for the cleaning of the occupied Royal Palaces which include Buckingham ...
13.01.2011	POVERTY RATES
	That this House notes with concern the analysis by the Institute of Fiscal Studies that shows the Government's fiscal plans will increase poverty among children and working age adults ...
17.11.2010	MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY CAMPAIGN COST OF LIVING WITH MUSCLE DISEASE REPORT
	That this House welcomes a new report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, The Cost of Living with Muscle Disease, which highlights the extreme financial hardship faced by many families ...