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xReport Card 10: Measuring child poverty
Date: 2nd July 2012
Category:
Basic Health and Welfare, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities
Author:
UNICEF
The publication of UNICEF's latest Report Card on 29 May led to a flurry of activity. On the day of the report's release, Jackie Baillie MSP tabled a motion calling 'for a clear focus on the poorest children to ensure that they are not placed at a disadvantage as a result of cuts in public spending'.
On 26 June, Baroness Massey of Darwen asked an Oral Question in the House of Lords on UNICEF's Report Card 10. Responding on behalf of the Government, Lord Freud welcomed the report, noting its focus on both income and deprivation measures and linking this wider view of child poverty to Government policies on early intervention, reforming education and making work pay. 'We are second as regards the number of income transfers: that comes out in the UNICEF report, but we are 22nd out of 35 countries as regards relative child poverty. That shows that we are just not getting value for our money.'
Lord Freud advocated 'a new approach', referring specifically to the importance of behavioural impacts, whilst confirming the Government's commitment to the 2020 targets.