Child Poverty Bill

Yes, I apologise. I meant Amendment 34. The Bill requires strategies to set out the specific actions that need to be taken across this full range of areas to meet the targets and ensure that children do not experience socio-economic disadvantage. Amendment 34 is another attempt to place family breakdown and alcohol and drug addiction at the heart of the Bill, this time in the building blocks. We have just debated why we do not consider that appropriate. I do not wish to imply that the issues raised by the noble Lord are not important, but the evidence does not show that family breakdown and addiction are the key drivers of poverty. Therefore I do not accept that they should be added to the building blocks. The noble Lord asked what the Government would do to tackle drug and alcohol addiction and their impact on children. We know that parents’ drug and alcohol use can cause harm to children at all stages of development. The most effective way to keep children safe is to engage parents in treatment and work with them to strengthen the family. The Government are investing almost £80 million in 2009-10 to support families at risk through the Think Family programme. We have given parents with drug problems priority access to treatment and have supported a network of family self-help groups to develop across the country. The drug strategy, which was introduced in February 2008, sets out actions to take a long-term view of prevention by intervening early with families at risk, improving treatment for parents with drug problems and protecting their children. It will improve drugs education and strengthen the role of schools and children’s services in identifying problems and intervening earlier; integrate substance misuse issues within mainstream children’s services and targeted youth support; improve access to positive activities and ensure effective specialist treatment for under-18s. There is considerable additional information to explain what the Government are doing to tackle drug and alcohol addiction and its impact, particularly on children. We have been through the key issues that this amendment raises. I hope that the noble Lord is satisfied with the explanation.