HC Deb 09 July 2003 vol 408 c846W
Andy King

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the two pieces of analysis were that underlay the statement on minimum income for a lone parent on page 44, paragraph 17 of Preliminary Conclusions-Measuring Child Poverty, published on 13 May 1003. [119152]

Mr. Pond

Page 44 of the document "Measuring Child Poverty—Preliminary Conclusions" for example, two pieces of analysis can produce different figures for a minimum income necessary for a lone parent with one child aged 5 was not referring to two actual pieces of analysis, but using an example to illustrate a specific point. The point being made is that different methodologies can be used to calculate a minimum income, and as there are a number of subjective decisions in these research methods, two pieces of analysis can conceivably produce different answers for the same family type.