Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Child Poverty Taskforce

Tuesday 28 April 2026 · 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

  • Child poverty is not inevitable, and measures are in place to lift 550,000 children out of poverty.
  • The Chancellor has removed the two-child limit and expanded free school meals and breakfast clubs.
  • The lifting of the child cap demonstrates progress in reducing child poverty.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Iqbal Mohamed Ind Dewsbury and Batley
Economy Children & Families
Context

The question arises from the high level of child poverty in Dewsbury and Batley, where 44.4% of children live in poverty according to official figures.

Question

In my constituency, 44.4% of children are living in poverty. Oxfam reports that just 56 billionaires hold more wealth than 2 27 million people combined, and their wealth increased by over £230 million each last year. Does the Chancellor accept child poverty is a result of political choices? How can the taskforce succeed without fair wealth distribution?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

Child poverty is not inevitable; we are lifting 550 550,000 children out of poverty. It is Labour Governments who lift children out of poverty while Tory Governments put them back in it. The taskforce aims to give all children a decent start in life.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specifics on equitable wealth distribution and closing tax loopholes were not addressed.

How: Child Poverty Is Not Inevitable

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Q2 Iqbal Mohamed Ind Dewsbury and Batley
Children & Families
Context

The question pertains to the impact of Government policies on child poverty in Dewsbury and Batley, where a significant number of children are living below the poverty line.

Question

In my constituency, 44.4% of children live in poverty according to official figures. Does the Chancellor acknowledge that this is due to political choices? How can we ensure success for the child poverty taskforce without addressing wealth distribution?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

Child poverty is not inevitable, we are lifting 550 550,000 children out of poverty. We have made changes like removing the two-child limit and expanding free school meals and breakfast clubs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specifics on equitable wealth distribution were omitted.

How: Child Poverty Is Not Inevitable

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Q3 Andrew Pakes Labour (Co-op) Peterborough
Economy Children & Families
Context

The question relates to the lifting of the child cap in Peterborough, affecting nearly 10,000 children. The ask is for assurances that the Government will maintain focus on reducing child poverty amidst economic challenges.

Question

Nearly 10,000 children in Peterborough are affected by the lifting of the child cap. Will the Chancellor assure me we will keep a razor-like focus on child poverty while dealing with the cost of living crisis and war impact?

Answer from Rachel Reeves

The lifting of the child cap shows progress in reducing child poverty. We are committed to further improvements through extended childcare, Renters' Rights Act 2025 and new homes construction.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions regarding cost of living crisis were not detailed.

How: We Have Lifted Children Out Of Poverty

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