§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they took part in the OECD conference in November 1996, Beyond 2000: The New Social Policy Agenda, and whether they agreed with its conclusion that "a social investment approach provides a useful framework for priority-setting in an environment where major increases in the fiscal burden are unacceptable".
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe Secretary of State for Social Security attended this conference. We do not necessarily agree with some of the implications of the term "social investment" used by the chairman of the meeting in his conclusions. However, we welcome its focus on containment of social security expenditure and much of the discussion's endorsement of the UK's approach to social policy.