The Scottish published a progress report on its social justice strategy. The report focused on 29 milestones towards tackling poverty and disadvantage experienced by children, young people, families and working age people, older people and communities. Of the 29 milestones, 17 were described as heading in the right direction, while just 2 were heading in the wrong direction (reducing the numbers of households living in temporary accommodation, and reducing days lost every year through exclusion from school and truancy).
Source: Social Justice: A Scotland where everyone matters - Indicators of progress 2003, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | SE press release
Date: 2003-Dec
A think-tank pamphlet argued that a permanent social democratic transformation of society would be achieved only through a 'radical deepening of democracy' that engaged with the complex and dispersed nature of social power. Experiments in participatory budgeting had shown how the active involvement of voters in informed debate and deliberation could produce better decisions and socially progressive outcomes. The renewal of the public sector had to go forward on the basis of worker and user empowerment within a public service ethos, not the further extension of market mechanisms and business models of organisation.
Source: Angela Eagle MP, A Deeper Democracy: Challenging market fundamentalism, Catalyst, available from Central Books (020 8986 4854)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Dec
Senior government advisers said that middle-class people benefited more from the National Health Service than poor people. Those from the professional classes were 40 per cent more likely to get a heart bypass than lower socio-economic groups, despite much higher mortality from heart disease in the deprived group. Poorer people were 20 per cent less likely to get a hip replacement, although they were 30 per cent more likely to need one. Those from the two most affluent social groups got about 10 minutes of a family doctor's time at each visit, while those from the other five groups averaged just over 8 minutes.
Source: Julian le Grand, Anna Dixon, John Henderson, Richard Murray and Emmi Poteliakhoff, Is the NHS Equitable? A review of the evidence, Discussion Paper 11, LSE Health and Social Care/London School of Economics, available from Waterstone's Economist Bookstore (020 7405 5531)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Nov
Voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland published a manifesto calling for a more equal society. It called for an anti-poverty strategy to reduce the growing gap between rich and poor, including an increase in the minimum wage; the maintenance of public services; enhanced preventative health care; improved housing and policies to tackle homelessness; and political leadership to tackle sectarianism and racism.
Source: Policy Manifesto, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (028 9087 7777)
Links: Manifesto (pdf) | NICVA press release
Date: 2003-Nov
The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published an analysis of long-run social and economic trends, including benchmarking the United Kingdom against other countries. Looking across a range of indicators for comparator countries, the UK tended to perform relatively poorly during the 1990s - for example on income inequality, teenage pregnancy, regional imbalances, and high levels of congestion. But the report said that on some indicators of future readiness, such as 'fiscal sustainability' and 'microeconomic competitiveness', the UK now performed much better.
Source: Strategic Audit: Discussion document, Strategy Unit/Cabinet Office (020 7276 1881)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Nov
A study gave a detailed analysis of the government s progress on its targets for reducing poverty. Used the same definition of 'relative poverty' as that used by the government (household income below 60 per cent of the median income level in a given year), it found that relative poverty fell between 1996-97 and 2000-01, largely as a result of improvements in employment rates and in the level of some benefits. There was 'considerable progress' with regard to children, but less progress with regard to poverty among other groups.
Source: Holly Sutherland, Tom Sefton and David Piachaud, Poverty in Britain: The impact of government policy since 1997, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 043 | JRF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Oct
A report argued for a 'citizen's income' to be introduced - an unconditional, non-withdrawable and automatic income for every citizen. It discussed the definition of those to whom the citizen's income should be paid, and the effect it would have on the nature of citizenship.
Source: Citizenship and a Citizen's Income, Citizen's Income Trust (020 8305 1222)
Links: Report
Date: 2003-Sep
The Leader of the House of Commons argued that the government should use the tax system to redistribute money from rich people to poor people. He also proposed 'citizens' contracts', under which people would be advised each year what public services they could expect to be provided, free at the point of use and fully funded by general taxation: health and education would be excluded from any system of 'co-payment' involving elements of payment by higher earners.
Source: Peter Hain MP, contributing to Mind the Gap: Britain's progressive deficit, Progress (020 7808 7780)
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
A group of prominent left-of-centre commentators, academics, pressure groups and politicians formed a new organisation to promote 'democratic left' policies which embraced both pluralism and egalitarianism. It issued a founding statement. It said the initiative reflected 'concern, verging on despair' at the direction of the Labour government.
Source: Compass: A vision for the democratic left, Compass (neal@compassonline.org.uk)
Links: Statement (pdf) | Statement | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
A Christian charity (Zacchaeus 2000 Trust) promoted a petition among national and local organisations, calling on the government to research the minimum incomes needed for healthy living 'from pregnancy to pension'; and to establish an independent Minimum Income Standards Commission which would be able to measure the government s success in eradicating poverty and the savings from reducing poverty-related ill health. The petition received the support of over 60 organisations, including the Church of England, the Trades Union Congress, the British Medical Association, and the Children's Society. The charity also promoted an Early Day Motion, tabled by Andrew King MP, and supported by 135 MPs.
Source: Care and Health, 17 September 2003 | Letter to The Times, 17 September 2003
Links: Care and Health article
Date: 2003-Sep
The government published the fifth annual report on its policies for reducing poverty and social exclusion. It said that employment rates for disabled people, older workers, lone parents and people in deprived areas continued to close the gap on the overall employment rate. It said there had also been 'steady progress' towards the government s target to reduce the number of children living in low-income households, and sharp falls in the number of pensioners on low incomes. But the opposition Conservative Party said the report was 'damning evidence' that Labour were failing to deal with families trapped on low incomes, despite increases in benefits.
Source: Opportunity for All: Fifth annual report 2003, Cm 5956, Department for Work and Pensions, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 18 September 2003, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171) | The Guardian, 19 September 2003
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Summary (pdf) | DWP press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
A report argued that housing poverty was the most extreme form of social inequality in Britain. Most homeowners enjoyed a higher quality of housing, were able to choose where they lived, and had benefited from the rising value of housing assets. By contrast, although most tenants enjoyed much better basic standards of housing than their counterparts 60 years ago, they had very little choice over where they lived and no housing assets at all. The report called for dramatic changes to close the housing 'equity gap' and increase choice, including higher taxes on homeownership.
Source: Chris Holmes, Housing Equality and Choice, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Report (pdf) | IPPR press release
Date: 2003-Aug
A summary was published of responses to an official consultation exercise on changes to the indices of local deprivation for England. There was strong support for retaining the existing methodology, with only a small number of respondents calling for a full review. Following the consultation, a draft 'blueprint' report was published, setting out actual plans for updating the indices, including proposed indicators, domains and domain weights. An independent assessment of the blueprint report was also published. The units of area proposed for the indices would allow pockets of deprivation to be more accurately targeted, based on data from areas of 1,000-3,000 people, rather than 800-35,000 under the existing system.
Source: Indices of Deprivation 2000 (Id 2000): Update summary of responses to the stage one consultation report, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 8383) | Updating the English Indices of Deprivation 2000: Stage 2 blueprint consultation report, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | Jonathan Bradshaw, Review for the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit of Blueprint for the Index of Multiple Deprivation At small area level, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Consultation responses | Blueprint report | Review of Blueprint
Date: 2003-Aug
An article examined the idea of citizenship underlying the Labour government's welfare reforms. It was claimed that there were two rather different approaches to be discerned: one saw citizenship as a basic status, which in turn was the basis of entitlement; the other view was that citizenship was something that had to be developed or achieved, typically by participation in the labour market and by discharging obligations.
Source: Raymond Plant, 'Citizenship and social security', Fiscal Studies, Volume 24 Issue 2/June 2003, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Abstract
Date: 2003-Aug
The government published a strategy document on combating health inequalities. It said : 'For too long we have been prepared to tolerate glaring differences in health between different parts of our country and different groups within it'.
Source: Health Inequalities - Programme for action, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report (pdf) | HDA press release
Date: 2003-Jul
A new book presented empirical research demonstrating the importance of social disadvantage, throughout the lifecourse, with respect to inequalities in life expectancy, death rates and health status in adulthood; and contained an overview of lifecourse epidemiology as applied to socioeconomic differentials in health.
Source: George Davey Smith (ed.), Health Inequalities: Lifecourse approaches, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Jul
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland outlined his plans and priorities for the government of the province. He said that a 2 billion investment programme would radically improve health, education, and infrastructure; and that the government remained committed to addressing deep communal and social divisions, and developing a comprehensive human rights programme.
Source: Press release 24.6.03, Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 0700)
Links: NIO press release
Date: 2003-Jun
The leader of the House of Commons was reportedly forced to delete passages from a speech in which he had intended to signal the need to consider raising tax for the highest earners, in order to reduce the tax burden of those on middle and lower incomes. But other ministers and former ministers subsequently supported calls for a public debate on the taxation issue; and a Labour Party consultation document raised the question of whether the government's taxation principles were correct.
Source: The Guardian, 21.6.03 | The Guardian, 23.6.03 | Britain in the Global Economy, Labour Party (08705 900200)
Links: Guardian 21.6.03 | Guardian 23.6.03 | Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
The Prime Minister set out six key goals for the Labour government: finding 'modern means' to give expression to the traditional Labour values of equality, liberty and justice; reclaiming key political territory such as law and order and the family from the Conservatives and 'redefining it for progressive ends'; 'reworking' Labour's belief in social justice to enrich its commitment to individual freedom; stressing that Labour was a party of economic production as well as redistribution, of growth as well as equality; rebuilding civil society around responsibilities as well as rights; and reasserting the belief in international solidarity.
Source: Speech by Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister) 17.6.03
Links: Text of speech | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Jun
A report said that the new social justice ministry in the Welsh Assembly government faced a difficult task. It said that the main weapon for tackling deprivation would be the 83 million 'Communities First' programme targeted at 142 of the most disadvantaged wards in Wales: but local authorities appeared to be the main agents for delivery of the programme.
Source: Welsh Labour Takes Control: National Assembly monitoring report March to June 2003, Institute of Welsh Affairs (029 2057 5511)
Links: IWA press release
Date: 2003-Jun
Research among users of social services found that most believed that rights and welfare went beyond the needs of any individual, and that there was a need to recognise shared rights, citizenship and entitlements. However, most felt that present systems were 'paternalistic' and unequal in the way they viewed people's rights. Many saw benefit levels as being too low for recipients to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
Source: Michael Turner, Phil Brough and Bob Williams-Findlay, Our Voice in our Future: Service users debate the future of the welfare state, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 683
Date: 2003-Jun
A new cabinet post in Wales was announced (following the Assembly elections on 1 May 2003) with dedicated responsibility for cross-cutting social justice issues - including community safety, the police and fire services, substance misuse, the social economy, anti-poverty measures, social housing, the voluntary sector, and the development of the 'Communities First' programme.
Source: Press release 8.5.03, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: WAG press release
Date: 2003-May
The Opposition Conservative Paper leader said that he wanted his party to become the 'party for the poor'. He unveiled a consultation paper which said that the resources of volunteers, charities and social entrepreneurs should be harnessed to ensure that no-one in society was left behind.
Source: Sixty Million Citizens: Unlocking Britain s social capital, Conservative Party (020 7984 8160)
Links: Consultation paper (pdf) | Press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-May
A new book provided a critical analysis of changes in social security policies, and their impact. Issues covered included tax credits, welfare to work, cash and care, fraud, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities, disability, child poverty, pensions, family change, and service delivery.
Source: Jane Millar (ed.), Understanding Social Security: Issues for policy and practice, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-May
A paper argued that promoting education through public subsidy might be a means to reduce income inequality.
Source: Robert Dur and Coen Teulings, Are Education Subsidies an Efficient Redistributive Device?, DP 30, Centre for the Economics of Education/London School of Economics (020 7955 7285)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-May
The government published preliminary conclusions from its consultation on measuring child poverty. It said there was no consensus on a favoured approach, although there was agreement around underlying principles of long-term measurement. It said further methodological work would cover the appropriate components of a possible tiered approach, which could indicate a gradient of progress; material deprivation, with the aim of developing questions for the Family Resources Survey; how relative income might best be incorporated into a long-term measure; and multi-dimensional indicators. Campaigners expressed concern and disappointment that some options, such as an independent commission and a minimum income standard, had been rejected.
Source: Measuring Child Poverty Consultation: Preliminary conclusions, Department for Work and Pensions, available from Welfare Reform (020 8867 3201) | Press release 14.5.03, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Report (pdf) | DWP press release | Consultation document (pdf) | CPAG press release
Date: 2003-May
Researchers found that the United Kingdom was falling behind many other countries in its efforts to create a more cohesive society. Using, for the first time, aggregated data for 15 countries drawn from the World Values Survey, the International Adult Literacy Survey and Interpol crime statistics, the research suggested that educational inequality in the United Kingdom may pose particular problems for social cohesion.
Source: Andy Green, John Preston and Ricardo Sabates, Education, Equity and Social Cohesion: Distributional model, Research Report 7, Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning/University of London (020 7612 6291)
Links: Report (pdf) | IOE press release
Date: 2003-Apr
A briefing paper analysed changes to income inequality since the Labour government came to power in 1997. It said the most recent data from 2001-02 showed that there had been little change in income inequality since 2000-01, and that there had therefore been little impact upon the slight upward trend in inequality experienced over Labour's term in office.
Source: Andrew Shephard, Inequality under the Labour government, Briefing Note 33, Institute for Fiscal Studies (web publication only)
Links: Briefing note (pdf)
Date: 2003-Mar
Official statistics showed above-average income growth, in real terms, at the lower end of the income distribution between 1994-95 and 2001-02, and between 1996-97 and 2001-02 (Great Britain). Between 1996-97 and 2001-02 the median income of the bottom 20 per cent of the population grew by 16 per cent in real terms before housing costs, and by 22 per cent after housing costs (compared to 15 per cent and 19 per cent respectively for the population overall). In 1996-97 there were 3.2 million children below 60 per cent of 1996-97 median income before housing costs: by 2001-02 this had fallen by half, to 1.6 million (for income after housing costs, there was a fall from 4.3 million to 2.5 million). In 1996-97 there were 4.9 million working-age adults below 60 per cent of 1996-97 median income before housing costs: by 2001-02 this had fallen to 3.3 million (after housing costs, there was a fall from 6.8 million to 4.7 million). The government claimed success for its policy of targeting help at the most needy. Campaigners said the figures for child poverty were 'disappointing' and warned that government targets for reducing it were at risk.
Source: Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2001/02, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Press release 13.3.03, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171) | Press release 13.3.03, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Report (pdf links) | ONS press release (pdf) | DWP press release | CPAG press release | Age Concern press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A report sought to identify the fundamental causes of poverty and disadvantage, and examined who is most affected. It set out the key issues in six areas education, family poverty, geographic disadvantage, income poverty, housing and long-term care. The authors argued that it will not be easy over the next 20 years to turn back the tide of social disadvantage, but that it is possible provided the political will exists.
Source: David Darton, Donald Hirsch and Jason Strelitz, Tackling Disadvantage: A 20-year Enterprise, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
Research found that class polarities, relative poverty and social exclusion have all increased over the last 50 years - despite better educational opportunities, improved health and rising standards of living. (The research was based on the British Birth Cohort Studies, which have been following everyone born in England, Scotland and Wales in one week in 1946, 1958 and 1970.)
Source: Elsa Ferri, John Bynner and Michael Wadsworth (eds.), Changing Britain, Changing Lives: Three generations at the turn of the century, Institute of Education/University of London (020 7612 6050)
Links: Press release | Extract (Guardian) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Feb
A pamphlet discussed philosophical aspects of redistributive policies. The author argued that disadvantage cannot be adequately addressed without referring to some substantive ideal of 'human flourishing': but he stressed that this ideal must be a 'sensitive and pluralist' one, carefully distinguishing personal deficiency from legitimate difference.
Source: Jonathan Wolff, The Message of Redistribution: Disadvantage, public policy and the human good, Catalyst, available from Central Books (020 8986 4854)
Links: Pamphlet (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Feb