§ Mr. PondTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will carry out an assessment of the impact of her Department's current policies on the(a) income, (b) employment opportunities and (c) living standards, of the poorest 30 per cent. of the population. [23342]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyOur society is more divided than it has been for generations, and our policies are aimed at addressing these inequalities. We aim to offer educational and employment opportunities for all. The best way of improving the living standards of most people at the bottom of the income distribution is to help them into work, and we are implementing a range of policies under the New Deal to achieve this aim. We have also established a Social Exclusion Unit to co-ordinate action across Government to find new and more integrated ways of tackling the worst problems.
We continually evaluate our policies using a variety of methods. In particular, the annual Government Statistical Service publication "Households Below Average Income" contains detailed data on the position of those at the lower end of the income distribution.