Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prevent any increase in childhood deprivation.

The Government is committed to delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in all its forms. This requires an approach that goes beyond a focus on income and tackles the root causes of poverty and disadvantage, to improve long-term outcomes for families and children.

The evidence is clear about the importance of work, in particular full time work, in tackling child poverty and improving children’s educational outcomes. The absolute poverty rate (BHC) of a child, where both parents work full-time is only 4%, compared to 44% where one or more parents are in part-time work. Universal Credit helps by incentivising entry into work, offering smooth incentives to increase hours. We will therefore continue with our reforms to the welfare system so that it works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay.