Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kit Malthouse and Patricia Gibson

Monday 26th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Kit Malthouse]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and is a renowned champion of those in poverty in his constituency. It is interesting to note that nearly three quarters of children in poverty move out of poverty when their parents move into full-time work. We must capture and use that in our constant fight against poverty.

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP)]

17. Two thirds of children in poverty live in a household where at least one parent works. New analysis shows that child poverty will increase dramatically by 2030, with the main reason cited as UK Government cuts. Will the Secretary of State come to my constituency to see for herself the devastating effects of her Government’s cuts, which already have an impact on too many children in North Ayrshire and Arran?

[Kit Malthouse]

I have seen reports of the new analysis this morning and, obviously, we are more than willing to have a look. However, such reports—there have been several in the past few weeks—tend to accept in the small print that forecasting poverty in the future is a very inexact science and often leads to odd results, not least because they often do not take behavioural change into account. The whole thrust of the Government’s welfare reforms has been not just to ensure that we get assistance and money to people efficaciously, but to effect behavioural change because we know that accessing work is by far and away our most potent tool in the fight against poverty.