Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Official Report 457KB pdf

Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Agenda item 4 is consideration of the Scottish Government’s response to the one recommendation that the committee made at stage 1 of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill. Section 3(2) provides that the Scottish ministers may by regulations change the base date that is mentioned for the time being in section 3(1) for measuring the absolute poverty target. The base date is set as the financial year beginning 1 April 2010. Section 3(3) provides that the regulations in question will be subject to the negative procedure. The committee recommended that section 3(3) should be amended so that the regulations will be subject to the affirmative procedure.

The Scottish Government responded to the stage 1 report of the Social Security Committee, which is the lead committee on the bill. In doing so, it agreed to our recommendation. Accordingly, does the committee agree to welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to lodge at stage 2 an amendment that will make the change that I just outlined?

Members indicated agreement.