My Lords, this group of amendments includes those related to new missions and metrics. The missions contained in the levelling-up White Paper are the products of extensive analysis and engagement; this analysis is set out in the White Paper. As I have made clear already, the Bill is designed to establish the framework for missions, not the content of missions themselves. The framework provides ample opportunity to scrutinise the substance of those missions against a range of government policies.
I start by addressing Amendments 4 and 9, tabled by the noble Baronesses, Lady Lister of Burtersett and Lady Hayman of Ullock, which would require the levelling-up missions to include a mission on child poverty. Let me say that everybody in this Government accepts that child poverty is an issue that needs continually to be kept an eye on, managed and acted upon. However, the way we deal with it is perhaps the issue that we need to discuss. We believe that the best and most sustainable way of tackling child poverty is to ensure parents have opportunities to move and progress in the workplace. Setting targets can drive action that focuses primarily on moving the incomes of those just in poverty to above a somewhat arbitrary poverty line, while doing nothing to help those on the very lowest incomes or to improve children’s future prospects. We therefore have no plans to reintroduce an approach to tackling child poverty that focuses primarily on income-based targets. Ministers and officials engage extensively across government to ensure a co-ordinated approach to tackling poverty, and we will continue to do so in the future.
Moving into work is the best way to improve lives. In 2019-2020, children in workless households were over six times more likely to be in absolute poverty than those in households where all adults were in work. Since 2010, there are nearly 1 million fewer workless households; under the Conservatives, 1.7 million more children are living in a home where at least one person is working. However, that is not to be complacent. The issue for me—the noble Lord, Lord Best, brought it up—is good housing, good education, good skills and good jobs. All these things are covered by the missions, and they do not need to be one separate mission.
While I am talking about living standards, my noble friend Lord Young asked about the definition of living standards. The Bill seeks to raise the living standards of people in work and people who are able to work, or whom we can get into work:
“By 2030, pay, employment and productivity will have risen in every area of the UK,”
getting those who are not already in work into work. That is the definition in the White Paper.
The levelling-up White Paper highlights the challenges faced by children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and how these vary between and within places. It takes a systematic approach, through the missions, to address a number of factors which we believe contribute to child poverty. The levelling-up mission on living standards commits to increasing pay and employment in every area of the UK, which would in turn help to reduce child poverty. We are also committed in the White Paper to investing an extra £200 million to expand the Supporting Families programme in England, which will help to improve the life outcomes and resilience of vulnerable children and their families. Additionally, over £300 million in funding for family hubs and Start for Life has been allocated to 55 high-deprivation local authorities, supporting a focus on perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships, infant feeding and parenting support. These are very important at the beginning of a child’s life, as we heard again from the noble Lord, Lord Bird.
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The Government have provided cost of living support worth over £37 billion for 2022-23, including the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, and up to £650 in cost of living payments for around 8 million households on means-tested benefits. From 1 April 2023 the national minimum wage will rise from £9.50 to £10.42 per hour, providing a significant increase to the wages of those on the lowest wages. The reduction to the universal credit taper rate in 2021 also increases the incomes of the most vulnerable.
Through our devolution deal, local government is able to provide support for child poverty reduction at a local level. For example, as part of the North East devolution deal, the North East Combined Authority is committed to continuing and expanding the North of Tyne Child Poverty Prevention Programme—local people working on local priorities.
I will move on to several amendments relating to new missions and the protection of our environment. Amendment 8, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, would require that the levelling-up missions include a mission to tackle climate change and protect our natural environment. Amendments 18 and 19, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Stunell, would mean that all emission outcomes must consider net-zero mitigation and adaption measures, as well as environmental targets set out in the Environment Act. Amendment 28, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Willis of Summertown, would require that the levelling-up missions include a new mission on access to a healthy environment. I also want to address the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Stevenage, which would mean that the Government’s reports must include an estimate of the impact of emissions.
I agree with all these amendments. It is vital that we deliver a system that places environmental considerations at the heart of policy-making across government. For this reason, all Ministers of the Crown are required, through the Environment Act 2021, to ensure that environmental principles are considered in policy-making. These principles guide Ministers and policy-makers towards opportunities to prevent environmental damage and enhance the environment. The issues that have been brought up are already in statute and I do not think they need to be repeated.
We are already taking a range of steps to give people more access to the natural environment close to where they live. For example, the levelling-up parks fund will improve access to quality green space in over 100 neighbourhoods across the UK, through the creation or significant refurbishment of green spaces in urban areas that need it most. Work on the England coast path, which will improve access to the coast by linking the best existing coastal paths and creating new ones where there are none, is progressing, with nearly 800 miles now open to the public.
We have also invested significantly in active travel, helping people to connect with nature through cycling and walking. In addition to the £200 million allocated through the active travel fund, an additional £33 million had already been committed this financial year to support local capacity and capability on active travel. I am sure that this issue will come up again, as my noble friend Lord Young of Cookham said, when we talk about spatial planning in a later debate.
The levelling-up White Paper has set out our commitment to the green revolution and the transition to net zero through the £26 billion of capital investment. Low-carbon businesses have already created 400,000 jobs and an estimated turnover of more than £41 billion in 2020, which has helped to create a basis for multiple missions. The net-zero review, published by Chris Skidmore, contains several proposals that will help the Government meet their net-zero target by 2050, in addition to driving economic growth and increasing living standards. The noble Lord, Lord Stunell, was correct that we must ensure that the green revolution and its economic benefits move across the whole country and not just certain areas. We are seeing that.