Oral Answers to Questions

Beccy Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 9th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Gill German (Clwyd North) (Lab)]

3. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on future earnings.

[Dr Beccy Cooper (Worthing West) (Lab)]

13. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on future earnings.

--- Later in debate ---

[Bridget Phillipson]

Yes, I give my hon. Friend that assurance. We will work closely with devolved Governments to make sure that we are all pulling together to break down the barriers that too many of our young people face. That is why the work on child poverty that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and I are leading on is so crucial. We know that child poverty is an issue that blights too many lives across the UK.

[Dr Cooper]

Coastal areas, including my constituency of Worthing West, experience lower life expectancy and higher preventable ill health than many non-coastal areas. That is directly related to the fact that they often have higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to address the specific inequalities in coastal communities?

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is a real champion for her constituents and for coastal communities, and I recognise that different communities have distinct challenges. Work is already under way to ensure that where someone is from does not determine whether they can succeed, but I would be happy to discuss that further with my hon. Friend.