Overview

This bill mandates that all public bodies in England and Wales conduct family impact assessments before implementing policy changes affecting public spending, administration, or policy. It also requires the Secretary of State to report on extending these assessments to local authorities and to set targets for family stability, regularly reporting on progress.

Description

This bill introduces two key requirements:

Family Impact Assessments

Public bodies must assess the likely impact of any proposed policy changes (including legislation) on families and family relationships. This assessment must consider various aspects of family life including: caring responsibilities, family formation, transitions (birth, death, separation etc.), and fragile relationships. If a negative impact is identified, a statement explaining the policy's continuation and mitigation strategies must be published. The definition of "family" is broad, encompassing various relationships beyond traditional nuclear families.

Targets for Family Stability

The Secretary of State must publish a report within nine months outlining objectives, targets, and indicators for promoting strong and stable families. Annual progress reports will follow, with a review of targets every three years. The Secretary of State can amend these targets and indicators, but must explain any changes.

Government Spending

The bill itself doesn't directly specify government spending figures. However, implementing family impact assessments across all designated public bodies will involve costs for assessment processes, reporting, and potential mitigation strategies. The cost of extending assessments to local authorities will be assessed and reported separately.

Groups Affected

This bill will affect:

• Central government departments: Required to conduct family impact assessments for all policy changes.
• Other public bodies (designated by the Secretary of State): Will also be subject to the family impact assessment requirement.
• Local authorities (in England and Wales): The bill will assess the cost and benefit of extending the requirements to them.
• Families: The bill aims to improve family life by considering the impact of policy on various family structures and situations. However, some policies may still negatively impact families, despite the assessment requirements.

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