Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Child Poverty 2026-06-29

Monday 29 June 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

  • Government claims substantial progress in reducing child poverty through a child poverty strategy.
  • The strategy includes expanding free school meals and removing the two-child limit on benefits.
  • The Chancellor's statement addressed reforms in gambling taxation to combat child poverty.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Children & Families
Context

The MP notes the government's child poverty strategy and asks about further actions to address ongoing issues. She references a proposal by Gordon Brown for a levy on gambling and betting industries.

Question

What progress has been made on reducing levels of child poverty? Lifting children out of poverty will be this Government's greatest legacy. However, around 4 million children remain in poverty. Last year, the former Prime Minister suggested a £3 billion levy to lift another 500,000 children out of poverty. Will the government do even more?

Answer from Diana R. Johnson

We are taking substantial action through our child poverty strategy, including free school meals expansion and removal of the two-child limit, which could benefit around 1,650 children in York Central. The Chancellor's statement on gambling taxation and tackling fraud supports these measures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for further action beyond current measures was not directly addressed with concrete commitments or actions.

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Q2 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Economy Culture, Media & Sport Children & Families
Context

The MP questions the government's child poverty strategy and asks about specific measures to address ongoing issues, referencing a proposal by Gordon Brown.

Question

Lifting children out of poverty will be this Government's greatest legacy. However, around 4 million children remain in poverty. Last year, the former Prime Minister suggested a £3 billion levy on gambling and betting industries to lift another 500,000 children out of poverty. Will the government ensure we do even more so that we have a greater legacy?

Answer from Diana R. Johnson

The Chancellor's statement on tackling child poverty mentioned reforms in gambling taxation and efforts against fraud, indicating these were considered in policy decisions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for a £3 billion levy was not directly addressed with concrete commitments or actions.

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Q3 Zöe Franklin Lib Dem Guildford
Economy Children & Families Local Government
Context

The MP highlights specific challenges in addressing child poverty in certain neighbourhoods within her constituency, noting a significant disparity between overall statistics and local realities.

Question

What assessment has been made of hidden pockets of deprivation in places such as my own constituency? In Guildford, after housing costs, 13.2% are in poverty, but in some areas it rises to 50%. This presents specific challenges. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that children living in these pockets are not overlooked by their policy?

Answer from Diana R. Johnson

The 10-year strategy includes looking at deep material poverty and working with local councils, combined authorities, and mayors to address these issues in specific areas.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for concrete steps was not directly addressed with clear commitments or actions.

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