Welfare Reform Act 2012

2 For section 8 (and the preceding italic heading) there is substituted—

“Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission

8 Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission

(1) There is to be a body called the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (in this Act referred to as “the Commission”).

(2) The Commission’s functions are those conferred on it by or under this Act.

(3) Schedule 1 contains further provision about the Commission.

(4) A Minister of the Crown may by order provide for the Commission to cease to exist on a day—

(a) specified in or determined in accordance with the order, and

(b) falling after the target year.

(5) An order under subsection (4) may contain such transitional or consequential provision as the Minister of the Crown considers necessary or expedient in connection with the abolition of the Commission.

(6) That provision may include provision amending, repealing or revoking—

(a) the provisions of this Act so far as relating to the Commission;

(b) any provision of any other Act (whenever passed);

(c) any provision of any instrument made under an Act (whenever made).

8A Advice

(1) The Commission must on request give advice to a Minister of the Crown about how to measure socio-economic disadvantage, social mobility and child poverty.

(2) Advice given under this section must be published.

8B Annual reports

(1) Before each anniversary of the coming into force of this section the Commission must publish a report setting out its views on the progress made towards the goals in subsection (2).

(2) Those goals are—

(a) improving social mobility in the United Kingdom, and

(b) reducing child poverty in the United Kingdom, and in particular—

(i) meeting the targets in sections 3 to 6 in relation to the target year, and

(ii) implementing the most recent UK strategy.

(3) A report under subsection (1) must also describe—

(a) the measures taken by the Scottish Ministers in accordance with a Scottish strategy,

(b) the measures taken by the Welsh Ministers in accordance with a Welsh strategy, and

(c) in the case of a report made after the appointed day for Northern Ireland, the measures taken by the Northern Ireland departments in accordance with a Northern Ireland strategy.

(4) A report under subsection (1) may by published as one or more documents as a Minister of the Crown may direct.

(5) If the Commission so requests, a Minister of the Crown may by order extend the publication deadline for any particular report by not more than nine months.

(6) A Minister of the Crown must lay a report under this section before Parliament.

8C Other functions

A Minister of the Crown may direct the Commission to carry out any other activity relating to the goals in section 8B(2).”