Motion NDM6723 Rhun ap Iorwerth

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the recent increase in child poverty.

2. Notes research for Save the Children Cymru which found that: 'By age five around a third of children living in poverty (30-35 percent) were already falling behind across a range of cognitive outcomes (i.e. vocabulary, problem solving, dexterity and coordination) compared with a fifth of those from better-off families (20-21 per cent)'.

3. Believes that responsibility for the increase in child poverty and for tackling child poverty, resides with both the UK Government and Welsh Government.

4. Regrets that the Welsh Government has ended the Communities First programme without an evaluation of its effectiveness or a plan for its replacement.

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure equal access to high quality early childhood education and care for all children in Wales with a specific focus on providing additional support to all children living in poverty, as recommended by Save the Children Cymru.

6. Further calls on the Welsh Government to take all steps within its powers to tackle child poverty as part of a new plan for eliminating child poverty that includes SMART targets rather than vague statements.

7. Believes that such a plan can only succeed with the administrative control of social security and that securing these powers should be a major strategic objective of the new plan.