Part of 4. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:03 pm on 24 June 2020.
Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. Minister, analysis published by the End Child Poverty coalition earlier in this pandemic showed that, across Wales as a whole—reporting 2015 to 2019—that child poverty fell marginally. During this pandemic, the Welsh Government have responded to the crisis with additional and very substantial investment to the Wales-only discretionary assistance fund, which you've just mentioned, which provides help for those facing desperate financial crisis, as well as allowing greater flexibility for those accessing the discretionary assistance fund, and in addition to the local hardship fund announcement, and, obviously, the critical, major Wales economic resilience fund.
Minister, whilst we know, in a capitalistic economy, that child poverty is heavily influenced by earned incomes and the now slashed UK welfare benefit levels for families, what support have our partners in local government asked for, and what additional support can the Welsh Labour Government give to blocking and stopping the evil of child poverty?