Statement on Child Poverty in the UK

Since 1997 the Government has worked tirelessly to support children and families. Through the working tax credits, child benefits and the Child Tax Credit, which is once again set to increase by £20 from April 2010, the Government has helped an estimated 500,000 children out of relative poverty and has halved the number in absolute poverty from 3.4 million to 1.7 million.

The report published today by the Campaign to End Child Poverty rightly highlights the potential impact that further unemployment could have on constituencies such as mine and I think it is the responsibility of the Government to continue spending and assist the economy out of recession. Only by these measures can we curb future joblessness and the impact that that has on families and particularly children.

This report underlines the need to sustain public expenditure. The Tory proposals to cut public spending would hit low paid public sector workers very heavily and cause child poverty, across the country, to rocket.