Welsh Government's new child poverty strategy criticised by campaigners
Wales' Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt speaks with ITV Wales' Marina Jenkins.
A new strategy to end child poverty in Wales has been criticised by campaigners for lacking targets.
More than one in four children in Wales currently live in relative poverty and the Welsh Government missed its goal of eradicating child poverty by 2020.
Wales' First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said: “The key tax and welfare powers rest with UK Government".
The new strategy sets out a list of policies with the Welsh Government saying it will use all its existing powers and levers as it works with other organisations to make child poverty a priority in decision making at all levels of government in Wales over the coming decade.
But Sarah Crawley from children's charity Barnardo’s there must be targets within the strategy to ensure the progress can be effectively scrutinised.
She said: “We remain gravely concerned about the risks of further entrenching poverty in our communities, with the cost-of-living continuing to rise and many programmes that support families struggling to survive.
“The Social Justice portfolio is facing some of the deepest cuts in Welsh Government, although we recognise and welcome that the Discretionary Assistance Fund has been protected,
“It continues to be a disappointment that Welsh Government has not listened to numerous recommendations on the need for targets and an action plan attached to the strategy so that progress can be transparently and regularly monitored.
“We look forward to ensuring the voices of children, young people and families are heard, and will be tireless in our commitment to changing lives and childhoods across Wales.”
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First Minister, Mark Drakeford said: “We are determined to tackle the harmful effects of poverty and improve opportunities for children.
"Today we are setting out how we can tackle the most pressing challenges, using all the powers we have, especially our ability to bring organisations and partners together to harness their combined ambition and drive.
“The key tax and welfare powers rest with UK Government. We need them to work with us to achieve this ambition of giving every child in Wales every advantage. Tackling child poverty doesn’t just benefit children – it supports every one of us.”
The strategy has five long-term objectives including to reduce costs and maximise the incomes of families and to create pathways out of poverty so children and young people and their families have opportunities to realise their potential.
Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt said: “Tackling child poverty and working with others to achieve this is at the heart of everything we do as a government at all levels in Wales.
“Through this strategy we are ensuring that child poverty is a priority in cross-government decision making.
“Cwtch Mawr and the Welsh Benefits Charter are prime examples of partnership working in action that will help us achieve our objectives.
“It is only through strong cross-government working and collaboration at regional and local levels, as well as supporting people to help them maximise their income and find pathways out of poverty, that we can work together to deliver on the rights of all children and young people of Wales.”
The Welsh Benefits Charter is an agreement between the Welsh Government and all 22 local authorities to work together to improve the Welsh Benefits System.
Responding to the Welsh Government's announcement Mark Isherwood MS, Shadow Social Justice Minister, said: "This is very worrying, it's more than worrying.
"This is a betrayal that they're now bringing forward a lukewarm smoke screen strategy that doesn't have the key who, why, when, where what targets within it which are reviewable and realistic that the sector has been calling for for years.
"We are glad it's finally happened. We have been calling for this policy for many years. The 2020 target was scrapped in 2016 and here we are nearly 8 years later, finally getting a revised strategy. But there are no real targets".
He continued: "There's going to be some sort of external review, but without the details on actions, timescales, and deliverability, it'll be impossible to challenge the Welsh government. Passing the buck, no accountability seems to be at the core of everything they do.
"Targets are not meant to be moveable things and a weapon to criticise people with. They're supposed to be reviewable, realistic, and achievable. And if it's not working then you change the way you do things.
"People respect that, that's owning the issue. The failure to adopt this approach effectively since 2016 indicates a government that governs by accountability avoidance and politicising a really important vial issue, to score points against the UK government."
Mr Isherwood added: “Detailed delivery proposals via a single point of access have been on the table for years and action, not words, is now required.
"The Welsh Conservatives would introduce a single point of access for benefits, with monitoring and timescales, something that Labour’s plans still fail to offer.”
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