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Proceeding contribution from Lord Freud (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 19 January 2010. It occurred during Debate on bill and Committee proceeding on Child Poverty Bill.


Child Poverty Bill

I thank the Minister for giving way. It is possible to view the amendment as rather cynical, just replacing an easier target with a tougher target—the 2.9 million with the 4 million—but it is also possible to look at it in a more qualitative way. It is an attempt to consider another dimension: housing deprivation. If I am straying slightly from the specific words of the amendment, I hope that noble Lords will forgive me. My point is that, if housing deprivation is desperately important, which it is, and this is of value as a measure, it would be possible to devise such a measure with a different threshold or median percentage, so that we are looking not at an inconsistent target—the £19 billion would not necessarily change—but at ensuring that the children whom we are capturing are the more appropriate ones, so that we are capturing something valuable. Whether or not that point is within the letter of the amendment, I would be interested in the Minister’s thoughts and response.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
716 c144GC 
Session
2009-10
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords Grand Committee
Subjects
Children Devolved matters Disadvantaged Costs Housing Families Free school meals Low incomes Northern Ireland Parents Poverty Lone parents Scotland Statistics Welfare tax credits Wales Social rented housing Unemployment Child Poverty Commission
Legislation
Child Poverty Bill 2008-09 to 2009-10
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk