[Metrobeans]

Attention!

This has changed slightly from second reading, please read it again before you vote.

B307 - Welfare Amendment Bill 2010, TSR Libertarian Party

A Bill to ensure the clarity of the Poverty Abolition Act, and to guarantee a decent standard of living for all, rather than 5p tins of beans and 10p noodles.

BE IT ENACTED by The Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, in accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

1 Minimum Income Clarification
(1) The Poverty Abolition Act 2009 shall be amended in the following ways:
(a) In section 1.1 for "create and maintain an algorithm for calculating the minimum income required for every household." substitute "maintain a list of goods and services required to afford a socially acceptable standard of living and to participate in society in Britain; and"
(b) Following section 1.1 the following text shall be inserted

Inserted text

(a) The Treasury shall update the prices of each good or service by region.
(b) The Treasury shall publish the list of goods and prices not less than once per month.
(c) That the Treasury shall repeat the Minimum Income research from scratch ever 3 years.

(c) In section 1.2 for "annually pay" substitute "pay monthly".
(d) In section 1.2 for "calculated figure" substitute "the income required to pay for the basket of goods and services at the prices in that individual's region."
Following section 1.2 insert the following text

Inserted Text

(3) Where applicable, payments shall include goods for dependent children under the age of 18.
(4) For the purposes of this bill "region" refers to electoral region for national parliament as set out by the Federal Act 2010.

2 Ceased Welfare Clarification
(1) The Poverty Abolition Act 2009 shall be amended in the following ways:
(a) Following section 2.1 the following text shall be inserted:

Inserted Text

(2) "direct welfare payments" are defined for the purposes of this bill as "any monetary payment from the state to an individual for reasons other than direct employment or government error".

(b) Section 4 of the Poverty Abolition Act shall be repealed; and
(c) Section 5 shall be renumbered accordingly.

3 Income Tax Clarification
(1) The Poverty Abolition Act 2009 shall be amended in the following ways:
(a) In section 3.1 for "37p per" substitute "thirty-seven pence in the".
(b) In section 3.2 for "Employee" substitute "Primary".
(c) In section 3.3 for "Children" substitute "Persons".

4 Commencement, short title and extent
(1) This Act may be cited as the Welfare Clarification Act 2010
(2) This Act shall come into force upon Royal Assent
(3) This Act extends to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Results of The Amendment

This amendment bill shall make the Poverty Abolition Act read as such:

1 Minimum Income
(1) The Treasury shall maintain a list of goods required to afford a socially acceptable standard of living and to participate in society in Britain; and
(a) The Treasury shall update the prices of each good by region.
(b) The Treasury shall publish the list of goods and prices not less than once a month.
(c) That the Treasury shall repeat the Minimum Income research from scratch ever 3 years.
(2) The Treasury shall pay monthly each individual the income required to pay for the goods at the prices in that individual's region.
(3) Where applicable payments shall include goods for dependent children under the age of 18.
(4) For the purposes of this bill "region" refers to electoral region for national parliament as set out by the Federal Act 2010.

2 Other Direct Payments
(1) All other direct welfare payments shall cease.
(2) "direct welfare payments" are defined for the purposes of this bill as "any monetary payment from the state to an individual for reasons other than direct employment or government error".

3 Tax and National Insurance
(1) All income above the calculated minimum shall be taxed at thirty-seven pence in the pound.
(2) Primary National Insurance Contributions shall be abolished.
(3) Persons under the age of 16 shall be exempt from income tax.

4 Commencement, short title and extent
(1) This Act may be cited as the Poverty Abolition Act 2009
(2) This Act shall come into force on the first day of the financial year 2010
(3) This Act extends to all citizens of the UK.

Notes

A note on B305 firstly, this bill is independent of B305, which I understand is undergoing significant changes before a second reading. As such, I expect this to either pass or fail before that completes its passage through the house. It doesn't seek to contradict that bill or to stop its completion, it merely seeks to clarify the laws we have and to ensure that our previous intentions are clarified in law. If anything, we feel this will further the debate on B305 by removing the focus on interpretation of the unamended PAA.

A note on devolution, I'm aware that social security is devolved, but as this is the remit of HM Treasury and not the DWP is comes under the remit of tax (or rather, negative tax), just like tax credits. If the four constituent nations wish to have further social security on top of this that is entirely their choice from their budgets. We believe it's best done centrally purely for reducing bureaucracy - and since the JRF managed to create single baskets of goods despite focus groups over the country, we conclude that there isn't significant regional difference in the goods required to live a decent life.

A note regarding EMA, it doesn't exist, but travel costs for someone in full time education would be included in the basket, so it's paying that to everyone, not just some. It won't exclude people from staying in education.

A note on the lack of actual figures, it seems silly to do so since by region they will differ, so to put ina figure seems silly. The list is published, so it's up to people themselves to decide what the country needs as a minimum standard of living. Certainly, having this transparency means there's ultimately democratic accountability.

[simontinsley]

I would urge those about to vote merely compare it with what happens with a no vote. As such, if you think this is better than the original PAA then voting no here doesn't repeal it, it leaves us with the original.

I mean, I'd love to know what Claphamski and xXediXx prefer about the old version to this one...

[ByronicHero]

(Original post by simontinsley)
I would urge those about to vote merely compare it with what happens with a no vote. As such, if you think this is better than the original PAA then voting no here doesn't repeal it, it leaves us with the original.

I mean, I'd love to know what Claphamski and xXediXx prefer about the old version to this one...

While I recognise this may be an improvement it does not nearly go for enough. For this reason, and the fact I'm opposed to the system in general, this was the fairest vote IMO.

[Adorno]

This has been UoL-ed in between the second reading and the vote and as such is unacceptable in failing to mandate a level in the first place. The stock phrases used in this rendering are precisely what were being railed against in the first place. This is a sham and should be recognised as such in the vote.

[Metrobeans]

The aye's have it! The aye's have it!