Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the high number of children living in poverty.
What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of children in poverty?
We are reducing child poverty through a large number of measures, including increasing the national living wage and reducing the national insurance tax as recently announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
100,000 children are being kept clear of poverty thanks to the Scottish Government's policies. The two-child limit policy is criticised for forcing children into poverty.
A total of 100,000 children will be kept clear of poverty this year thanks to the Scottish Government's policies—primarily the Scottish child payment. Surely the Secretary of State must now look to rolling out some of our policies in other parts of the UK and, at the very least, ditch the two-child limit, which deliberately forces children into poverty.
The limit to which the hon. Gentleman refers is there for a very good reason, ensuring people face the same basic decisions as those not on benefits. This is an important matter of fairness across those receiving benefits and paying tax. The number of children in poverty has fallen by 400,000 since 2010.
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Assessment & feedback
Reconsidering the two-child limit policy
Focusing On Fairness And Avoiding Reconsideration
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
In Renfrewshire, £14 million has been paid to more than 10,000 children's families thanks to the Scottish child payment. Experts recommend full devolution of employment support.
Many of those people are in work, Secretary of State. Some £14 million has been paid to more than 10,000 children's families in Renfrewshire thanks to the widely praised Scottish child payment. Praise has come from the Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland, which says that the Scottish Government are making employment for parents central to their child poverty strategy, but it says that devolved employment support programmes are held back by responsibility being split across governments and a reserved Jobcentre system which is more often focused on compliance than helping people reach their full potential. It recommends the full devolution of employment support to tackle child poverty. Will the Secretary of State listen to the experts?
I am always very interested in listening to the hon. Gentleman and any ideas he has about improving our welfare system, but I point to the fact that this country has seen a considerable drop in absolute child poverty, after housing costs, of 400,000 since 2010.
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Assessment & feedback
Listening to experts on devolution
Acknowledging Interest But Focusing On Existing Achievements
Response accuracy
Q4
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is interested in the correlation between children in poverty and workless families, and the opportunities created by increased apprenticeships.
What correlation does the Secretary of State see between children in poverty and workless families? Given that there is no age restriction on most apprenticeships, and today's announcement that there will be 20,000 more apprenticeships and that the apprenticeship levy can be spent on greater numbers of contractors and sub-contractors, what opportunities does he see for his Department to highlight those opportunities for people who are of working age and who may have children in poverty?
My hon. Friend refers to workless households. A child is five times more likely to be in poverty if they are growing up in a workless household. My hon. Friend was right to draw attention to the announcement made today about even greater investment in apprenticeships, and also the change in the way that the apprenticeship levy works so that supply chains can benefit to a greater degree.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy