Establishing budget standards, focusing particularly on clothing budgets for three family types.

A series of budgets were produced, for six household types, at a 'modest-but-adequate' standard. By this is meant a standard of living which enables the physical needs of each family member to be met and which facilitates full social participation.This thesis derives from the FBU research project. Although it focuses on the work undertaken by the researcher at Sheffield Hallam University, it also seeks to contextualise, review and criticise the national FBU research project, of which it formed a part.The first part of this thesis contains a critical review of previous national and international research into living standards in general and household budgets in particular. It then describes and evaluates the budget standard methodology employed by the FBU. Where budget standards are defined as being a costed 'basket of goods and services'. The particular methodologies employed and difficulties encountered during the development stages of the clothing budgets are reviewed in greater detail, as this together with household goods and services, and leisure goods and services were the areas for which the researcher at Sheffield had sole responsibility. In addition, the consultation questionnaire which she designed and distributed amongst local community groups is described and evaluated, in order to obtain the opinions of members of the public concerning the 1990 draft budgets. This part of the overall FBU methodology receives particular attention here as it is the only aspect that was not prescribed by the FBU.The results of the overall FBU project showed that in 1991, the expenditure of many families with children was lower than the amounts that the FBU estimated were required for a modest-but-adequate standard of living. The findings of the consultation questionnaire suggested that in general the respondents thought that the 1990 household goods and services budgets could be described as 'modest-but-adequate', whereas they thought that the clothing and leisure budgets had been set at a slightly lower level. Refinements were subsequently made to the budgets based on the respondents opinions.Finally, the policy implications and applications of this research are discussed and possible future extensions it are outlined.