MPs slam government's 'farcical' efforts on social mobility

The education select committee's report into the future of the Social Mobility Commission found that the advisory body has proved ineffective due to its lack of clout among ministers, who have consistently failed to act on its recommendations since it launched in 2012.

The committee also expressed concern at the "farcical" failed appointments process for new commissioners.

Currently, the commission can only offer advice to the government at the request of ministers. But the committee wants to see it given greater powers to enable it to publish social justice impact assessments on government policy and "proactively advise" ministers on social justice issues.

It also wants its name to be changed to the Social Justice Commission and be supported by a new delivery body to put in place social justice initiatives across government departments and the country.

In addition, a minister in the Cabinet Office should be given specific responsibility for ensuring government policies improve social mobility.

"Even the best monitoring and reporting on social mobility is of limited value unless the outcomes of the reports and recommendations are acted upon," states the report.

"The combination of a strengthened commission and a body at the heart of government to drive forward recommendations would better demonstrate the government's commitment to social mobility."

The committee also criticises the government for allowing the commission's membership to dwindle from 10 to just four by last year.

In December 2017, the remaining quartet, including chair Alan Milburn, all quit in protest at the lack of support they had received from the government.

Milburn told the committee that the government's attempt to appoint commissioners "was a bit of a farcical process".

"It took almost a year for the government to decide that none of the people we had recommended were suitable for appointment," Milburn told the committee.

"In that time, none of the candidates heard anything. In the end, I insisted a letter of apology be sent to the candidates and other applicants because it had gone on for so long."

Milburn also told the committee that "it did not seem that the government had either the ability or the willingness to put their collective shoulders to the wheel when it came to delivering social mobility".

The committee's report also recommends that a newly strengthened commission has a minimum of seven members in addition to a chair.

"Without stronger powers, the Social Mobility Commission will do little to tackle social injustices and give the most vulnerable in society the chance they deserve to climb the ladder of opportunity," said committee chair Robert Halfon.

"The government needs to co-ordinate the social justice agenda from the centre and should give a minister in the Cabinet Office specific responsibility to lead on this work and to ensure that the policies deliver in improving opportunities for all.

"It's crucial that a new body is created inside government with the levers and powers to co-ordinate and drive forward initiatives across Whitehall, and ensure social justice is delivered across the country.

"We need a commission which has the teeth to undertake objective assessments of the implications for social justice of government policies and is properly equipped to hold ministers' feet to the fire on social mobility."