Oral Answers to Questions

Michelle Welsh Excerpts

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Commons Chamber

The Minister for Women and Equalities was asked—

[Michelle Welsh (Sherwood Forest) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help remove children from poverty.

[Chris Murray (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab)]

4. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help remove children from poverty.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson)]

The Government are taking decisive action to tackle child poverty, for instance by removing the two-child limit, expanding free school meals and rolling out Best Start family hubs. Measures in the child poverty strategy are expected to lift more than half a million children out of poverty in 2029-30. That is what Labour Governments do: they make the choices that lift children out of poverty.

[Michelle Welsh]

I am proud of what the previous Labour Government did in rolling out Sure Start services, and of the role that I played in Nottingham and Derby in that connection. Does the Minister agree that where people are born should not determine their future, and that connecting Sure Start to maternity services delivers hope and opportunity and pulls many children out of poverty, including those living in former coalfield communities in my constituency such as Ollerton, Blidworth, Rainworth and Clipstone?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I strongly agree with my hon. Friend. Sure Start was one of the proudest achievements of the last Labour Government. We are now bringing it to life for a new generation of children with Best Start family hubs, and I am delighted that from April next year we are expanding healthy babies funding to every local authority in England, giving every family access to trusted, practical support during those critical 1,001 days. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who has spoken so powerfully about what needs to change in maternity services so that all women receive care and support at that vulnerable period in their lives.