Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

No child should be in poverty, and we are determined to ensure a better start for every child in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where nearly a quarter are in relative poverty.

Ahead of our Child Poverty Strategy, we have tripled our investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in 2025/26, and I’m pleased that Langdale Primary School and The Meadows Primary were selected to take part in the early adopter programme. 4,760 children in Newcastle-under-Lyme will also benefit from our extension of Free School Meals.

It’s my personal priority to reduce child poverty not just in Newcastle-under-Lyme but across the whole country.