Poverty poser (From Penarth Times)

Poverty poser

9:30am Thursday 4th February 2010

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IN HIS weekly column View from Westminster in the Penarth Times (April 16, 2009) Mr Alun Michael MP JP addressed the issue of child poverty.

He wrote: "The priority set in 1997 to tackle and eradicate child poverty has had particular resonance in Wales."

He went on to say: "After we set a national target of eradicating child poverty in the UK within a generation, child poverty in the UK is falling faster than any other EU nation."

And that: "It is time to affirm and strengthen our commitment to this country's poorest children."

In view of this extremely positive picture described by Mr Michael, I was surprised to read on January 26, on the BBC website, that according to the charity Save the Children: "The number of UK children living in 'severe poverty' rose in the four years before the recession."

And that: "Save the Children's director of UK programmes, Fergus Drake said: 'It's shocking that at a time when the UK was experiencing unprecedented levels of wealth, the number of children living in severe poverty - we're talking about children going without a winter coat, a bed and other day to day essentials - actually increased'."

Readers of the Penarth Times know just how very busy Mr Michael is at Westminster, because he has told us so in detail in his weekly column.

Nevertheless, is it too much to ask of Mr Michael to spare a few moments of his time to comment on the apparent difference between what he says about child poverty and what the independent charity Save the Children says?

Christopher Williams Via e-mail

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