Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure adequate external scrutiny of the Child Poverty Strategy.

The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is co-chair, has undertaken an extensive programme of engagement with families, charities, campaigners and leading organisations across the UK to shape and inform the development of an ambitious child poverty strategy.

The Taskforce is also supported by an Analytical Expert Reference Group which brings together independent external expertise from leading universities, think tanks, and organisations to provide advice and scrutiny.

External partners, including devolved governments, local leaders, academia, business and civil society, all have a role to play in tackling child poverty, and the department will set out the importance of these continuing partnerships when the strategy is published in the autumn.