Child Poverty Bill
5:18 pm
Steve Webb (Northavon, Liberal Democrat)
I want to move on to joined-up working with other authorities—other bodies—but may I just ask you about this 48,000 number? The national figure of 2.9 million or whatever is based on a sample survey that has been grossed up. The samples are too small to give a figure on that basis for any local authority. The Kent number cannot be a pro rata of that and cannot be based on that same data source. I am not arguing with you, but how can you possibly know that 48,000 Kent children are in households whose total household income—you probably do not know that income, unless they are on benefit—is less than 60 per cent. of the equivalent median? Can you know that? Where does the 48,000 come from?