Regional Inequalities: Child Poverty — [Dr Rupa Huq in the Chair]

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 2:30 pm on 2 March 2022.

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Photo of Liz Twist Liz Twist Opposition Whip (Commons), Shadow Minister (Scotland) 2:30, 2 March 2022

I agree with my hon. Friend, and I will come to the economic aspects of this issue later. We do not yet have child poverty figures for the period during the covid-19 pandemic; I understand that we will not have them until the end of March 2022. However, from some of the available real-time information, it is clear that there has been a significant financial impact on thousands of families in our region. The north-east has experienced the joint steepest increase in the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals during the pandemic of anywhere in England, having already had the highest proportion pre-covid.