Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Child Poverty

Monday 9 December 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the government's opportunity mission.
  • The child poverty taskforce will publish a child poverty strategy in spring 2025.
  • The government is working on measures to support families during holidays.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Michelle Welsh Lab Sherwood Forest
Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The question stems from the long-term issue of child poverty exacerbated by a decade of Conservative government policies, affecting many children in various constituencies.

Question

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce levels of child poverty. She highlighted that after a decade of Conservative Government, far too many children are growing up in poverty which impacts their education and opportunities for enrichment activities like school trips.

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of our opportunity mission. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and I are chairing the child poverty taskforce which will publish a child poverty strategy in spring 2025.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific steps or commitments on how to reduce child poverty, focusing instead on general statements about tackling it and referencing future strategies without details.

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Q2 Chris McDonald Lab Stockton North
Children & Families
Context

During the summer, Chris McDonald visited a holiday activities and food programme run by Stockton borough council which provided meals for low-income families. He is concerned about the continuation of this funding.

Question

Can my right hon. Friend provide some assurance that funding for the holiday activities and food programme will continue into next year?

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

I join my hon. Friend by extending thanks to the staff at Stockton borough council for their hard work on the holiday activities and food programme over the past year. We are working through our budget settlement to agree measures to support families during holidays, but no specific details about funding continuation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide a direct commitment or assurance regarding continued funding for the holiday activities and food programme in Stockton North.

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Q3 Michelle Welsh Lab Sherwood Forest
Education Children & Families
Context

Children growing up in poverty often face challenges such as poor academic performance and inability to participate in school activities due to financial constraints. The question highlights the plight of nearly 7,000 children living in poverty in Sherwood Forest.

Question

Does the Secretary of State agree that every child, including those from impoverished backgrounds, should have equal opportunities at school? She specifically mentioned the impact of child poverty on educational outcomes and enrichment activities for almost 7,000 children in her constituency.

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

I agree; it is absolutely right that every child should have a chance to achieve and thrive, which aligns with our goal set by the Prime Minister for giving each child the best start in life through tackling poverty.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer agreed on providing opportunities but did not commit to specific actions or measures to address the issue of child poverty and its impact on education.

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