Child Poverty Bill

If the noble Lord would permit me, we really ought to nail the idea that somehow the Government’s intent and the thrust of this Bill is about not focusing on the cause of poverty. That is what the strategies are all focused on and should drive. The noble Lord may argue that we ought to try to measure that in a variety of ways—we can have a debate and maybe a disagreement on that—but to say that Clause 8, in particular, and what comes from it is not about focusing on the causes of poverty and addressing, challenging and changing them is far removed from all our discussions to date and from the reality of the Bill and everything that surrounds it.