§ 12. Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to measure the links between low incomes and ill health. [102273]
§ Yvette CooperOne of our first actions in Government was to commission Sir Donald Acheson to undertake an "Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health". Sir Donald's report was published in November 1998. The report clearly identifies the significance of income as one of the wider determinants of health and recommends action to tackle this.
The Government are taking measures to tackle low income. These include the Minimum Income Guarantee, Winter Fuel Payments for Pensioners, Working Families Tax Credit, National Minimum Wage, Sure Start and an increase in Child Benefit. A first annual report, "Opportunity for all—Tackling Poverty and Social Exclusion", was published in September.