Written statement to Parliament

Government's response to the SMCPC's first annual report

Schools Minister's statement about the government's response to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s (SMCPC) first annual report.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
The Rt Hon David Laws

Today I wish to inform the House of the publication of the government’s response to the first annual report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

The independent Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission monitors the progress of the government and others in improving social mobility and reducing child poverty in the United Kingdom. The commission plays a vital role in ensuring the government makes progress in both of these areas and we are grateful to them for their thorough and comprehensive report.

We are committed to ending child poverty. We will support families into work, help families to increase their earnings, improve living standards by decreasing costs for low-income families, and prevent poor children becoming poor adults by raising their educational attainment.

We are determined to break down the barriers to social mobility at all stages of a person’s life, from when they are born right through into adulthood, to ensure that everyone can fulfil their potential.

We are tackling the root causes of poverty by giving people opportunities rather than trapping them in dependency.

A copy of the government’s response will be available later today at www.gov.uk/government/publications.

Updates to this page

Published 27 March 2014