Child Food Poverty

Mr Everitt emphasized that child food poverty is not a party political issue, highlighting the need to support families and children during crises. He noted that 6% of children live in households with very low food security as of March this year.

A staggering 4.3 million children live below the poverty line in the UK, with Wales having the highest level of child poverty at 35% in Cynon Valley. The speaker is angered by the normalisation of food banks and commends the Welsh Government for initiatives like free breakfasts during school holidays, but calls for further actions including universal basic income and a wealth tax to address child food poverty.

The MP commended the Government's approach to addressing child poverty through financial support for local authorities, emphasizing that local knowledge is crucial in ensuring effective policy implementation. He highlighted the importance of flexibility in providing funding so that local councils can make a difference based on their understanding of community needs.

The MP emphasized that child poverty in his region had increased significantly over recent years, with the north-east seeing a 10.7 percentage point rise in Easington alone. He criticised Government policies for contributing to this increase and called for urgent action such as reversing cuts to universal credit and extending free school meals.

Byrne noted that in Liverpool, West Derby, 34% of children live in poverty. He called for systemic change to address the root causes of food poverty, including a flawed system of universal credit and legacy benefits that do not provide adequate support. Byrne emphasized the need for legislative changes to guarantee universal free school meals and eliminate the stigma associated with means testing.

Mr Lavery criticised the Government's approach to child poverty, arguing it is a political choice not being addressed adequately. He cited statistics showing that 31% of children live in poverty, with significant regional disparities, particularly in the north-east where child poverty rates have risen sharply over recent years.

Childhood hunger is an absolute issue, with reasons including unemployment, sudden income changes, chaotic finances, drug dependency, poor food access, education, relationship breakdowns, and low pay. The solution to these causes lies in increasing the overall income of low-income families through measures such as the national living wage increase, which is set to reach £10.50 by 2024.

Mr Gullis highlighted the importance of child welfare and praised government initiatives like free school meal vouchers, the covid winter grant scheme, and the £20 uplift in universal credit. He advocated for shortening the school summer holiday break to reduce childcare costs and improve educational outcomes. Additionally, he emphasised the role of local organisations such as Hubb Foundation and Port Vale Foundation in providing meals and activities during holidays.

Mhairi Black highlighted the stark rise in food bank usage in her constituency, with over 9,000 food parcels provided this year, including 2,500 to children. She criticised the UK Government's lack of targets for eradicating child poverty and praised Scotland's efforts to extend free school meals.

Mr Whitley highlighted the shame of child hunger debates, citing over 900,000 food parcels delivered to children in a rich country like the UK. He mentioned that over a third of all children in Birkenhead live in poverty, with typical household income after housing costs at £16,000.

The MP was appalled by the suggestion that child food poverty is not a political issue. He thanked Marcus Rashford and petition signatories for bringing attention to the matter. In 2020, Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank distributed 20,000 emergency food parcels, a 67% increase from previous years. The MP argued that such figures illustrate the political nature of child poverty. He called on the Government to eradicate child food poverty by not cutting the £20 universal credit uplift.

She criticized the current welfare system for failing to assist those who are able to work to re-enter the job market due to issues like a five-week wait for support and advance payments that trap claimants in financial distress. She compared this to Charles Dickens's criticism of the 1834 Poor Law, noting that the poor suffer from various forms of poverty beyond just material deprivation, such as self-esteem and opportunity loss. Gibson suggested replacing universal credit advance payments with non-repayable loans or eliminating the five-week wait period to help families better support themselves.

The MP expressed concern over rising food insecurity among children, citing statistics showing sharp increases in relative child poverty and low food security. He called for Government action to tackle the growing problem of child poverty and support the extension of free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds.

He highlighted that 4.3 million children are living in poverty, which equates to nine pupils in every classroom of 30. He urged the government to expand access to free school meals for all children under 16 who live below the poverty line and implement recommendations from the national food strategy during holiday periods. Bonnar praised North Lanarkshire Council's Club 365 programme, which provides play and nutrition throughout holidays.

Tom Hunt defended the Government's response to child food poverty, highlighting that the holiday activities and food programme was a part of their plan before Marcus Rashford's campaign. He emphasised that the issue is not political but a reality faced globally.

The hon. Member highlighted that more than 1 million people signed a petition to end child poverty, including over 3,000 of her constituents in Hampstead and Kilburn. She expressed concern about the Prime Minister's claim that no child would go hungry during the pandemic when, in reality, 200,000 children skipped meals early on due to the pandemic. She pointed out that 2.3 million children experienced food insecurity this winter, with an increase of 500,000 more children living in poverty since 2010.

The Government have taken substantial action to support families and children during the pandemic, investing £7.4 billion last year to strengthen the welfare system. The Healthy Start payments have increased from £3.10 to £4.25 a week. The holiday activities and food programme has been expanded all across England this year, providing support in every local authority. Additionally, over 1.6 million pupils receive free school meals during term time.