Ending child poverty should be at heart of Lib Dem policy review
20.09.05

The Liberal Democrats should put ending child poverty at the centre of their policy review, a leading children's charity said today.

In the run up to Charles Kennedy's speech at his party's annual conference in Blackpool the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) are calling on the Lib Dems to make the alleviation of child poverty one of their top policy goals.

CPAG Chief Executive Kate Green OBE said today:

"Eradicating child poverty should be at the heart of the Liberal Democrat policy review which is being debated this week.

"The Government has set an ambitious target of ending child poverty by 2020 and halving it by 2010. The Lib Dems support this goal, but CPAG wants to know how the party would achieve it if they were in power.

"At the general election the Lib Dem manifesto was noticeably thin on the issue of child poverty, so we hope that the party will sign up to CPAG's 10 steps to a society free of child poverty.

"This policy review is an opportunity for the Lib Dems to put child poverty at the top of their policy agenda and at the heart of political debate. We hope they will seize this chance and join the campaign to end child poverty in the UK once and for all."

CPAG's ten-point manifesto to eradicate child poverty includes reforming the administration of tax credits and benefits, reducing the disproportionate burden of taxation on poorer families and introducing free at the point of delivery, good quality universal childcare.

Together with End Child Poverty and the Social Market Foundation CPAG is holding a fringe meeting entitled 'What impoverishes children' at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference.

Lib Dem Treasury Spokesperson Susan Kramer MP, End Child Poverty Director Jonathan Stearn and Cllr Sarah Boad from the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors will speak at the fringe meeting on Wednesday September 21st at 6.30pm in the Aperitif Bar, Imperial Hotel, Blackpool.

For further information please contact:

Alex Belardinelli
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
abelardinelli@cpag.org.uk

Notes:

CPAG’s ten steps to a society free of child poverty are:

• All political parties to commit to eradicate child poverty.
• Poverty proof policies – make each consistent with eradicating child poverty.
• Uprate the combined value of child tax credit and child benefit at least in line with the fastest growing of prices or earnings. The element of this that is child benefit ought to be maximised.
• Increase the adult payments within income support in line with those for children.
• Reform the administration of tax credits and benefits – ensure they get the right amount to the right people at the right time.
• Ensure all children have full access to the requirements – meals, uniforms and activities – of their education.
• Provide benefit entitlements to all UK residents equally, irrespective of immigration status.
• Work towards better jobs, not just more jobs.
• Introduce free at the point of delivery, good quality universal childcare.
• Reduce the disproportionate burden of taxation on poorer families.

To show what is needed to make further progress in eradicating child poverty, CPAG has published a manifesto, 'Ten steps to a society free from child poverty'' which calls on all political parties to sign up to 10 demands.

• Download a copy of CPAG's manifesto (205 KB pdf file)
  
  
• Download a leaflet summary of CPAG's manifesto (471 KB pdf file)