Child Poverty Bill
12:00 pm
Mike Brewer: I can’t really see what the Bill would achieve that Government action could not do. The Government missed their target in 2004, and it looks like they will miss their target in 2010. I think they would have missed it even if they had had this Bill 12 years ago. The Government publish indicators at the moment, in the “Opportunity for all” report—others are proposed in the Bill—but still they missed their targets in 2004 and 2010. The reason why they will miss their targets in 2010 is because of a lack of money. The child tax credit is not high enough. The Government have not yet found the political will to raise taxes and increase spending on tax credits, and I cannot see what the Bill will change, compared with the current arrangements.