New body set up to check that Government hits targets on child poverty and social mobility
Catherine Gaunt
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission has been created to monitor the Government's progress in tackling child poverty and inequality.
The statutory body will report to Parliament and will be headed up by the Labour MP Alan Milburn.
The Child Poverty Strategy and the Social Mobility Strategy have also been revealed.
The Child Poverty Strategy, Tackling the causes of disadvantage and transforming families’ lives, includes the Government re-stating a commitment to end child poverty by 2020.
The Government said these measures together would create fairer opportunities for everyone.
However, the charity the Child Poverty Action Group said it was considering taking legal action against the Government because it has not met commitments set out in the Child Poverty Act.
Chief executive Alison Garnham said, ‘A child poverty strategy which does not set out how poverty numbers will fall, and by when is not a strategy and is incredibly disappointing given the Prime Ministers’ stated commitment on tackling poverty.
‘The strategy is unlawful because it has not kept to the requirements laid down in law by Parliament. An expert Child Poverty Commission should have been set up and consulted in the strategy’s preparation.’
‘Requirements on social inclusion and the progress ministers expect to make on their targets by 2014 are missing. We are astonished to see a consultation on scrapping child poverty duties for local government promoted in the "strategy", instead of being clearly ruled out.’
Ms Garnham added that the strategy failed to address the financial crisis for families faced with benefit cuts, wage stagnation and rising prices and that with the social mobility strategy had failed to address the ‘structural unfairness’ in the economy.
Helen Donohoe, director of public policy at Action for Children, said, ‘Money is undoubtedly at the centre of the problem, but poverty is far too complex to solve by focusing on income alone. A one-sided attack will simply scratch the surface. There needs to be a multilayered approach including early intervention, education and relevant job opportunities if we are ever going to extinguish child poverty and help families to break free from generations of deprivation.
‘It is critical that the Government maintains a focused and steadfast determination to sustainably end child poverty. We are concerned that the Child Poverty Strategy will not have the teeth to do this. There needs to be a refocused Child Poverty Commission to ensure that ministers are held accountable for the strategy to tackle child poverty.’
Dr Katherine Rake, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, said, ‘The current radical changes to the UK’s tax and benefits system threaten to disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable groups of children and their families. Analysis shows low income families with larger numbers of children will be among the hardest hit. Families looking for new measures that counterbalance these cuts will be disappointed by today’s strategy.
‘The target of ending child poverty by 2020 will remain beyond reach unless low income parents are granted access to more flexible working opportunities, and to adequate, affordable childcare.’
Children’s minister Sarah Teather said, ‘We know that the early years of a child’s life are critical to their success in adulthood which is why we will measure progress on child development, infant health and school attainment. This is in addition to reforming Sure Start, early years education and our school system to focus resources on the most disadvantaged children and families. And we are adding an indicator of severe poverty alongside the income targets in the Child Poverty Act so can see whether we are properly targeting the most disadvantaged.’
Launching the Social Mobility Strategy, Opening Doors: Breaking Barriers, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg (pictured) said he wanted to put a stop to people getting jobs because of ‘who they know’ and that there would also be an end to informal internships in Whitehall. He is also asking employers to sign up to a ‘business compact’ to open up internships and work experience programmes.
Mr Clegg said, ‘There is no particular age when the cycles of disadvantage can be broken. The opportunity gap has to be addressed at every stage of life, from early years to working age. And Government cannot do it alone. Employers, parents, communities and voluntary organisations all have a part to play.’
A new set of key indicators are included in the social mobility strategy, which define for the first time how social mobility is measured.
The Child Poverty Strategy and the Social Mobility Strategy have also been revealed.
The Child Poverty Strategy, Tackling the causes of disadvantage and transforming families’ lives, includes the Government re-stating a commitment to end child poverty by 2020.
The Government said these measures together would create fairer opportunities for everyone.
However, the charity the Child Poverty Action Group said it was considering taking legal action against the Government because it has not met commitments set out in the Child Poverty Act.
Chief executive Alison Garnham said, ‘A child poverty strategy which does not set out how poverty numbers will fall, and by when is not a strategy and is incredibly disappointing given the Prime Ministers’ stated commitment on tackling poverty.
‘The strategy is unlawful because it has not kept to the requirements laid down in law by Parliament. An expert Child Poverty Commission should have been set up and consulted in the strategy’s preparation.’
‘Requirements on social inclusion and the progress ministers expect to make on their targets by 2014 are missing. We are astonished to see a consultation on scrapping child poverty duties for local government promoted in the "strategy", instead of being clearly ruled out.’
Ms Garnham added that the strategy failed to address the financial crisis for families faced with benefit cuts, wage stagnation and rising prices and that with the social mobility strategy had failed to address the ‘structural unfairness’ in the economy.
Helen Donohoe, director of public policy at Action for Children, said, ‘Money is undoubtedly at the centre of the problem, but poverty is far too complex to solve by focusing on income alone. A one-sided attack will simply scratch the surface. There needs to be a multilayered approach including early intervention, education and relevant job opportunities if we are ever going to extinguish child poverty and help families to break free from generations of deprivation.
‘It is critical that the Government maintains a focused and steadfast determination to sustainably end child poverty. We are concerned that the Child Poverty Strategy will not have the teeth to do this. There needs to be a refocused Child Poverty Commission to ensure that ministers are held accountable for the strategy to tackle child poverty.’
Dr Katherine Rake, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, said, ‘The current radical changes to the UK’s tax and benefits system threaten to disproportionately affect some of the most vulnerable groups of children and their families. Analysis shows low income families with larger numbers of children will be among the hardest hit. Families looking for new measures that counterbalance these cuts will be disappointed by today’s strategy.
‘The target of ending child poverty by 2020 will remain beyond reach unless low income parents are granted access to more flexible working opportunities, and to adequate, affordable childcare.’
Children’s minister Sarah Teather said, ‘We know that the early years of a child’s life are critical to their success in adulthood which is why we will measure progress on child development, infant health and school attainment. This is in addition to reforming Sure Start, early years education and our school system to focus resources on the most disadvantaged children and families. And we are adding an indicator of severe poverty alongside the income targets in the Child Poverty Act so can see whether we are properly targeting the most disadvantaged.’
Launching the Social Mobility Strategy, Opening Doors: Breaking Barriers, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg (pictured) said he wanted to put a stop to people getting jobs because of ‘who they know’ and that there would also be an end to informal internships in Whitehall. He is also asking employers to sign up to a ‘business compact’ to open up internships and work experience programmes.Mr Clegg said, ‘There is no particular age when the cycles of disadvantage can be broken. The opportunity gap has to be addressed at every stage of life, from early years to working age. And Government cannot do it alone. Employers, parents, communities and voluntary organisations all have a part to play.’
A new set of key indicators are included in the social mobility strategy, which define for the first time how social mobility is measured.
