Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will define new targets for child poverty.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions made clear in his statement to the House on 1 July that Government is committed to eliminating child poverty, and improving children’s life chances. The Government’s new approach will focus on tackling the root causes of poverty, in particular worklessness and educational attainment.

The Government will introduce legislation to give effect to this approach and to remove the existing measures and targets in the Child Poverty Act. Details of the legislation and the action the Government will take will be set out in due course.