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The article presents information related to social policy. The topics included are social security and income maintenance, health care, education, housing and environment, personal social services, law and the treatment of the offender, unemployment and the labor market, race relations, voluntary sector, local government, gender and demography. A review of new research finds that income inequality in Great Britain narrowed slightly in the early to mid 1990's, but was still much greater than in any. previous post-war decade. The Green Paper on public health replaces twenty-seven targets with four with a similar Green Paper for Scotland. The government is consulting on a new regulatory regime for education and lay care. An advisory panel on sustainable development throws doubt on forecasts of 4.4 million new homes needed by 2016. A Bill guaranteeing help with residential care costs for people with limited assets had a third reading. The government released additional funding for the record prison population. Employment Service performance targets emphasize helping people disadvantaged in the labor market move from welfare to work.

The article presents information on the social policy of Great Britain from February to April 1996. The main topics being social security and income maintenance, health care, education, housing and environment, personal social services, labor market and unemployment, law and the treatment of the offender, local government, voluntary sector, demography, race and gender. The government announced planned cuts in benefit administration costs of 25 percent over the next three years, including a review of the legal basis of decision- making and appeals. The new health authorities, amalgamating Family Health Services Authorities and District Health Authorities, started work on 1 April, 1995. The pilot scheme for parents of four-year-olds to apply for nursery education vouchers in four areas started in April, for implementation in the autumn. Management of the entire local authority housing stock has been handed over to a board of tenants for the first time. Press leaks suggest controversy within the Cabinet over plans to remove employment protection rights from employees of small firms. The government published a White Paper on new sentencing proposals.