UK Poverty 2025

Lord Bishop of Bristol Excerpts

Monday 10th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

I always make sure that the comments of all my noble friends—and, indeed, all noble Lords—are conveyed to those down the other end. I absolutely agree with my noble friend that it is incumbent on this Government to do what they can to tackle poverty. One of the things I like very much about the way that the Child Poverty Unit is developing a strategy is that it recognises that we have to do this on more than one front. It is trying to use all the levers available to it, looking at four different areas: how we increase incomes; how we drive down essential costs; how we get interventions, especially at a local level; and how we make sure that we use the whole economy and all the tools available to us across government to tackle poverty and get people into work. I will make sure that her views are heard by those making the decisions.

[The Lord Bishop of Bristol]

My Lords, JRF has been publishing its analysis of the incidence and impact of poverty for more than 100 years. I have reason to be grateful for its analytical work, but I also see the impact of poverty in my own diocese: in our food banks, which continue to need to grow and are dependent on the voluntary efforts of so many; and in our schools. Our children are going hungry because insufficient income is coming into their homes. Can the Minister elaborate on steps the Government are taking to address the issue of food provision, such as raising household incomes—particularly in the context of the current discussion on benefits—and working with agencies to ensure that emergency food provision, which has sadly become so prevalent, is still available as a last resort?

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

I thank the right reverend Prelate for that question and pay tribute to those not just in her diocese but across the country who are working so hard—volunteers and organisations, including churches—to support those who need help. The Government are committed to ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We recognise that there will always be times when people need emergency help, but I am interested in seeing that there is a wider range of support available.

For example, as the noble Baroness, Lady Boycott, has previously described, you can get better support for people so that they can make different choices and move on. The Minister for Employment is today attending the opening of the West Midlands Multibank to learn about the range of support that can be given; for instance, business surpluses are used to support people. In the end, however, the right reverend Prelate is correct: we need to drive up household income so that people do not need to do this. A key way to do that has to be to get people into good jobs, and to support them so that they stay in them and develop in them. We are determined to do that.