Written question asked by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Wednesday, 20 October 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 22 October 2010. It was answered by Justine Greening (Conservative) on Wednesday, 27 October 2010 on behalf of the Treasury.

Poverty: Children

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 20 October 2010, Official Report, columns 949-63, on the Comprehensive Spending Review, what estimate he has made, based on the model referred to in the statement of the likely effect on the level of child poverty of implementation of the proposals in the Spending Review in each of the next four years.

Answer: The spending review announced a package of reforms to reduce the deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. This included withdrawing child benefit from families with a higher rate taxpayer, and using some of savings to fund above-indexation increases in the child tax credit. As a result, the spending review will have no measurable impact on child poverty in the next two years.The Prime Minister has asked Frank Field MP to conduct an Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances in the UK. This review will inform the Government's longer term child poverty strategy, which will be published in March.Estimates of the impact of spending review measures on the number of children in relative poverty after 2012-13 are not available due to reservations over forecasting median household incomes (from which low-income poverty thresholds are calculated) further ahead.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 19517; 517 c382W
Session: 2010-12
Related items: Comprehensive Spending Review
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Parliamentary proceedings
House of Commons
Subjects: Children Poverty
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk