Letter
to the Prime Minister
Child
Poverty Action Group
207 Marylebone Road, London N.W.1
22nd December
1965
Dear Prime Minister,
There is evidence
that at least half a million children in this country are in homes
where there is hardship due to poverty. They do not belong to a
single type of family. Some have fathers who are disabled, suffering
from lengthy illnesses or out of work for long periods. Some are
the dependent children of women who have lost their husbands through
death or desertion. The majority are members of families where the
father’s earnings are low and there are several children to support.
The existence
of poverty in this country today tends to be overlooked and, indeed,
denied. Poverty affects the health and welfare of growing children.
It creates long-term social problems. We are sure you are already
convinced of the need to support the family and care for the dependent
child; but we wish to draw your attention to the special problem
of family poverty and to urge that action be taken by Her Majesty’s
Government to alleviate it at the earliest possible moment.
The Child Poverty
Action Group has prepared a memorandum
on the matter and has suggested two ways in which assistance might
be given to the children of poor families. It seems likely that
neither of these proposals would constitute a large additional burden
on the Exchequer, but the detailed figures on which calculations
of cost may be made are not generally available. The signatories
of this letter would probably not all agree on the precise details
of a scheme for reform: we are agreed, however, that action should
be taken to achieve a radical improvement in the standard of living
of families in poverty and we wish to bring this
memorandum to your attention. We ask that the present arrangements
for family allowances and the allowances for children be reconsidered
and revised, and that bigger direct allowances be paid in respect
of children in the poorest families.
We earnestly
beg you to see that steps are taken at the earliest possible moment
to help these families.
Yours
sincerely,
A.F.Philp
Chairman,
Child Poverty Action Group
On
behalf of the following signatories:
The
Rt. Hon. BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGER
Professor the Rt. Hon. LORD SIMEY OF TOXTETH |
| Sir
JOHN MAUD |
Master,
University College, Oxford |
| BRIAN
ABEL-SMITH |
Professor
of Social Science & Administration, London School of Economics |
|
WALTER BIRMINGHAM |
Warden,
Toynbee Hall, London
Member of Child Poverty Action Group |
|
M.F. BLIGH (Mrs) |
Former Children’s Moral Welfare Worker
Member of Child Poverty Action Group |
| JOHN
BOWLBY |
Director, Department of Children and Parents, Tavistock Clinic,
London |
| TOM
BURNS |
Professor of Sociology, University of Edinburgh |
| G.
M. CARSTAIRS |
Professor
of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh |
| PETER
COLLISON |
Professor
of Social Studies, University of Newcastle |
| D.
RUSSELL DAVIS |
Professor
of Mental Health, Bristol |
| D.
V. DONNISON |
Professor of Social Science & Administration, London School
of Economics |
| BARBARA
DRAKE |
Children’s
Officer, Tower Hamlets |
| A.
R. EMERSON |
Professor of Sociology, University of East Anglia |
| RONALD
FLETCHER |
Professor of Sociology, University of York |
| ERNEST
GELLNER |
Professor
of Philosophy, London School of Economics |
| ELIZABETH
GITTUS |
Lecturer in Social Science, University of Liverpool
Member of Child Poverty Action Group |
| S.
J. GOULD |
Professor
of Sociology, University of Nottingham |
| PAUL
HALMOS |
Professor
of Sociology, University of College of South Wales and Monmouthshire |
| A.
H. HALSEY |
Head
of Dept. of Social & Administrative Studies,
University of Oxford |
| AUDREY
HARVEY (Mrs) |
Author of “Housing in the Sixties” and “Casualties of the Welfare
State" |
|
KATHLEEN JONES |
Professor
of Social Administration and Training,
University of York |
| KEITH
KELSALL |
Professor of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield |
| A.V.S.
LOCHHEAD |
Director
of Social Administration Courses, University College of Swansea |
| O.
R. MCGREGOR |
Professor
of Social Institutions, Bedford College, London |
| DAVID
C. MARSH |
Professor
of Social Science, University of Nottingham |
| JOHN
MAYS |
Eleanor Rathbone Professor of Social Science, University of
Liverpool |
| J.N.
MORRIS |
Professor
of Social and Preventative Medicine, University of London |
| ARTHUR
MORTON |
Director,
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children |
| GEOFFREY
RANKIN |
Fieldwork
Organiser, Islington & North London Family Service Unit |
| JOHN
REX |
Professor
of Social Theory & Institutions, University of Durham |
| RICHARD
SCOTT |
Professor
of General Practice, University of Edinburgh |
| MORNA
SMITH |
Assistant
General Secretary, Social Services Dept., National Association
for Mental Health
Member of the Child Poverty Action Group |
| KENNETH
SODDY |
Consultant
Physician in Children’s Psychiatry, University College Hospital,
London |
| RICHARD
TITMUSS |
Professor of Social Science & Administration, London School
of Economics |
| PETER
TOWNSEND |
Professor
of Sociology, University of Essex |
| HARRIETT
WILSON (Mrs) |
Lecturer in Social Science, University College of S. Wales and
Monmouthshire, Cardiff
Member of Child Poverty Action Group |
| ROGER
WILSON |
Professor of Education and Social Development, University of
Bristol |
| P.
N. WORSLEY |
Professor
of Sociology, University of Manchester |
| STEPHEN
WYATT |
Fieldwork
Organiser, Oldham & District Family Service Unit
Member of Child Poverty Action Group |
|
Top of Page
Send Comments to CPAG