Overview

This bill mandates that UK government departments assess the impact of their policies on families before implementation. It also requires the Secretary of State to report on the feasibility of extending this requirement to local authorities and to establish objectives, targets, and indicators for government performance in promoting strong and stable families.

Description

The Assessment of Government Policies (Impact on Families) Bill introduces a "family test" which requires government departments and designated public bodies to assess the impact of proposed policies on families. This assessment considers several factors, including impacts on:

• A person's ability to participate fully in family life and discharge caring responsibilities.
• Family formation (e.g., marriage, childbirth).
• Families undergoing significant changes (bereavement, illness, separation).
• Couples at risk of separation, and families at risk of breakdown.

The bill defines "family" broadly to include various relationships, both within and beyond the traditional nuclear family. Any negative impacts on families identified in the assessment must be addressed in a published statement by the relevant authority. The Secretary of State is obligated to publish reports on the cost-benefit analysis of extending the family test to local authorities (within 6 months), and annual reports on government progress towards promoting strong and stable families (starting within 9 months, then annually). These reports will include objectives, targets, indicators and underlying data.

The bill also includes a review mechanism, requiring a review and potential amendment of family stability objectives, targets, and indicators every three years.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify new government spending. However, implementing the family test will likely incur costs associated with conducting assessments, data collection, and reporting. The cost of extending the test to local authorities is to be assessed by the Secretary of State and reported to Parliament. No figures are provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

This bill will affect:

• Government departments and Ministers: They must conduct family impact assessments before introducing new policies.
• Designated public bodies: These bodies will also be subject to the family test requirements.
• Local authorities: The potential extension of the family test to local authorities will affect their policy-making processes. The cost of implementing the family test for local authorities remains to be determined.
• Families: The bill aims to improve government policies' impact on families, potentially leading to policies that better support family stability and well-being.

Powered by nyModel