Poor relief (From Barry And District News)

Poor relief

NEW research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that around one million children will have been taken out of poverty by next spring, compared to 1997 figures.

The improvement has been put down to a number of factors including increasing levels of employment, higher-than-inflation benefit increases, the sure start programme and the introduction of the child tax credit.

Child poverty is a damning indictment on our society.

It is a scar on the soul of Britain. In the 21st century no child should be living in poverty.

It was a matter of shame for the Tories that when this Labour government came to power one child in every three was born in poverty.

They chose to ignore poverty for over 18 years.

I am glad to say that this new research proves that Labour's policies are working and I also welcome the Labour government's commitment to halve child poverty in ten years and abolishing child poverty in a generation.

Every child deserves the best possible start in life but too many of our children miss out and are left behind from an early age, stifling their future potential.

Evidence has shown that children who grow up in poverty also risk achieving poor outcomes in later life which can then in turn feed through to their own children and consequently sustain a damaging and unfair cycle of poverty and disadvantage.

Cllr Rob Curtis Merthyr Dyfan Road Barry