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A bill to Make provision for establishing a new government Ministry, the Ministry for Poverty Prevention; to make provision for the objectives and powers of that Ministry; to make provision that the Ministry can only be abolished or combined with another department by an Act of Parliament; to make provision for reporting requirements on the Ministry’s work; to make provision for a power to create binding poverty reduction targets; to make provision for a reporting system for all government spending in relation to poverty; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Duty on the Prime Minister to establish the Ministry for Poverty Prevention¶

(1) The Prime Minister must establish a new department, the Ministry for Poverty Prevention, by an Order in Council within six months of the passing of this Act.

(2) The Order under subsection (1) must set out the—

(a) objectives, and

(b) reporting requirements

of the Ministry for Poverty Prevention.

2 Abolishing or merging the Ministry for Poverty Prevention¶

The Ministry for Poverty Prevention may only be abolished or merged with another government department by an Act of Parliament.

3 Poverty reduction targets¶

(1) The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Poverty Prevention must set poverty reduction targets which the Government must meet.

(2) The targets under subsection (1) must be set by regulations within one year of the passing of this Act, and every one year thereafter.

(3) Regulations under subsection (1), which must be made by statutory instrument and must include—

(a) a timeframe for meeting the target, and

(b) the metrics to be used to assess delivery of the target.

(4) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

4 Reporting requirements on poverty reduction targets¶

(1) The Secretary of State must lay before Parliament a report setting out the Government’s compliance with the poverty reduction targets established in regulations under section 3.

(2) Reports under subsection (1) must be laid before Parliament within two years of the day on which this Act is passed, and every one year thereafter.

5 Reporting system for all government spending in relation to poverty¶

(1) Within six months of the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Poverty Prevention must by regulations establish the Preventative, Emergency, Coping and Cure (PECC) reporting system against which the Government must report all spending related to poverty.

(2) The PECC reporting system under subsection (1) must—

(a) require the Government to classify the purpose of all spending related to poverty into one of the following categories—

(i) poverty prevention measures,

(ii) emergency support for those in poverty,

(iii) support for those coping with long-term poverty, or

(iv) poverty elimination or cure measures;

(b) seek to increase transparency surrounding spending on poverty alleviation through whatever means the Secretary of State deems appropriate.

(3) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

6 Extent, commencement and short title¶

(1) This Act extends to England and Wales.

(2) This Act comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Ministry for Poverty Prevention Act 2025.