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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Hain's omission 'a disappointment and a worry' says AM
November 9, 2007 12:00 AM
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Communities, Culture, Housing and Social Justice, Peter Black, has joined other anti-poverty campaigners in expressing disappointment over Peter Hain's refusal to have Treasury or Revenue and Customs officials on his recently established Child Poverty Unit.
Mr Black said:
"While I welcome the fact that Mr Hain has set up this cross-departmental unit to try and get Labour back on track to hit their own target of halving child poverty by 2010, the omission of Treasury and Revenue and Customs officials from the team is a disappointment and a worry.
"It is Revenue and Customs who administer the tax credit system which is targeted at some of the poorest families in our society; and it is the Treasury that would have to sign off on the £4bn a year investment that Mr Hain needs to meet the 2010 target.
"Child poverty is a badge of shame for a civilised nation. Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for a re-working of the tax credit system so that it is simpler and fairer, and for the responsibilities of the failed Child Support Agency to be given to the Revenue and Customs service, so that the one third of parents not paying any maintenance and the one third of those who do pay but are not paying the full amount, can be made to do so.
"By not involving officials from these two departments, Mr Hain leaves a question mark over the seriousness of Labour's commitment to its own target. This is particularly so in Wales where poverty rates remain stubbornly high. We need to see Labour keep their promise."
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