Oral Answers to Questions

Emma Foody Excerpts

Monday 8th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Steve Race (Exeter) (Lab)]

5. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty.

[Emma Foody (Cramlington and Killingworth) (Lab/Co-op)]

18. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Dame Diana Johnson)]

At the autumn Budget we built on the substantial action that we have already taken to tackle child poverty and announced the removal of the two-child limit, which will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by 2029-30. That rises to 550,000 alongside other measures, such as the expansion of free school meals set out in our child poverty strategy, which was published on Friday. The Secretary of State for Education will be making an oral statement on the child poverty strategy this afternoon.

[Dame Diana Johnson]

May I commend my hon. Friend for his interest in this area? Deep material poverty is where families lack basic essentials, such as a warm home and healthy food. Families who cannot afford four or more of the 13 essential items are judged to be in deep material poverty, and 2 million children are in deep material poverty today. Over the course of the 10-year strategy, the items and thresholds that have been identified will not change, but they will enable us to use a broader set of measures when assessing our success in tackling child poverty.

[Emma Foody]

Child poverty in the north-east reached shameful levels under the previous Conservative Government, damaging the life chances of children and young people. As the Minister has set out, this Government are turning the tide with not only the removal of the two-child cap, but the expansion of free school meals and the introduction of breakfast clubs, lifting 550,000 children out of poverty. Can she set out how the child poverty taskforce will work with the north-east’s child poverty reduction unit to ensure that we can go even further in the north-east?

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Western]

I thank the hon. Lady for raising that important case. If she writes to me about it, I will be certain to look into the circumstances she has set out. On telephony more generally, there has been a significant decrease—of more than a minute—in the average waiting time, but clearly the case that she describes is unacceptable, and I will look into it on her behalf.

[Emma Foody (Cramlington and Killingworth) (Lab/Co-op)]

T8. More than 400 16 to 24-year-olds across my constituency are not in education, employment or training, and are claiming unemployment benefits. That has the potential to cause lifelong damage and deprive them of vital skills and opportunities for development. How will the Government’s youth guarantee provide support to those young people and help them to get the skills and support they need to gain access to fulfilling opportunities?

[Pat McFadden]

My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue. The numbers of people not in education, employment or training have been going in that direction for several years. That is why we brought forward the youth guarantee, which will offer work experience, training and, ultimately, subsidised work, offering hope where previously there was only neglect.