Children in Relative Poverty

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 8 October 2024.

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Photo of Jane Dodds Jane Dodds Liberal Democrat 2:04, 8 October 2024

You'll know that, over the past six years, we've seen a startling increase in the number of larger families who are living in relative poverty. Forty-three per cent of children in households of three or more are now at risk of relative poverty. That represents a staggering 100,000 children here in Wales. The two-child benefit cap is a key factor driving that crisis. This policy, widely criticised as being cruel and a violation of children's rights by numerous civil society organisations, including the Children's Commissioner for Wales, affects over 11 per cent of children—65,000 children. And in Brecon and Radnorshire, nearly 1,000 children are living in families affected by the two-child benefit cap.

This week the Child Poverty Action Group said that 10,000 children have fallen into poverty since Labour took office in Westminster. I'm calling on you, as the First Minister, to raise this once again with the Prime Minister, and perhaps you could do that on Friday in your meeting with him. But I'm also just reflecting on the fact that my party, when we were in Government in the coalition, made mistakes, and I'm very clear on record as saying that one of those was playing our role in austerity. First Minister, I'd like to call on you—we are all adults here and we should be able to acknowledge that people make mistakes. I'm calling on you to make a statement that it is a mistake to put—[Interruption.]