Written - Update on the Child Poverty Expert Group

I would like to provide Members with an update on the Child Poverty Expert Group (CPEG) and their role in relation to the Assembly Government’s ongoing programme of action to tackle child poverty in Wales.

CPEG was established to advise the previous Minister for Social Justice and Local Government (SJLG) on the further and wider policy requirements necessary to meet the milestones and targets set out in the 2006 document ‘Eradicating Child Poverty in Wales- Measuring Success’

Prior to my appointment as Deputy Minister for Children, I Chaired the Group on behalf of the Minister SJLG. As an Independent Advisory Group CPEG determined its own work plan based on the members’ own understanding of the issues relating to Child Poverty. CPEG has now met on 8 occasions and has submitted four sets of policy recommendations, Education 4-14 Years, Education 14-19 Years, Economic Inactivity and In-work Poverty. A fifth set relating to Health Inequalities and Child Poverty is in the process of being developed.

The reporting process for CPEG to date has been submitting themed policy recommendations to the Children and Young People’s Cabinet Committee, via the Minister SJLG. Feedback from the CPEG, Officials and the previous Minister SJLG was that the reporting procedure and the process for developing responses was too time consuming and did not fully utilise the expertise within the group.

Following my appointment as Deputy Minister for Children I have discussed these concerns with the Minister for Children, Education and Learning and with CPEG members to identify a more effective mechanism for maximising the benefits to be gained from the expertise within CPEG. Following approval by the Children and Young People Cabinet Committee, I am please to be able to inform you that in future CPEG will function as a Ministerial Advisory Group. The group will continue to be chaired by myself and will retain its current membership.  In this new form the Assembly Government will be able to use the group more proactively, identifying key issues on which it can benefit from the groups advice, rather than re-active engagement.

As a MAG the group will be better placed to support the implementation of policy changes that will be needed to meet the requirements of the Children and Family (Wales) Measure and ensure that Wales is leading the way in achieving the 2020 target to eradicate child poverty and improving the life chances of our children.