§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children were living in poverty in each year from 1979 to date in(a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. [107253]
§ Mr. BayleyThere is no single official measure of poverty. Poverty and social exclusion are complex multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of people's lives; their income, health, housing, the quality of their environment and their opportunities to work and to learn. There is no single measure which captures the complex problems which need to be overcome.
We are determined to tackle the problems that condemn many individuals and communities to poverty. That is why we set out our strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion in our first annual report "Opportunity for all" (Cm 4445). The report includes a range of indicators that capture the many aspects of poverty and social exclusion.
We are unable to present low income statistics for Shrewsbury and Atcham and Shropshire local authorities because they are not statistically robust for areas smaller than geographical regions. However, information for the whole of the West Midlands is shown in the table:
Number of children below 60 per cent. median income in West Midlands, including the self-employed Million Before housing costs After housing costs 1994–95 0.3 0.4 1995–96 0.3 0.4 1996–97 0.4 0.4 1997–98 0.4 0.4 Note:
Some of the fluctuation in numbers between years may be due to sample variability.
Source:
Households Below Average Income
Some indicators of poverty and social exclusion are available at the local authority level. For example, the table shows the number of children in families receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
Number of dependants under age 16 included in Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance (income based) claims for Shrewsbury
and Atcham and Shropshire
Thousand Period Shrewsbury and Atcham Shropshire May 1993 3.0 9.3 May 1994 3.3 8.4 May 1995 3.0 7.9 May 1996 3.0 7.9 May 1997 2.6 7.4 May 1998 1.9 5.8 May 1999 2.0 6.4 Notes:
1. Numbers are taken from the Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries for May 1993–1999, which is a point in time survey based on a 5 per cent. sample of Income Support claimants.
454W2. The figures include the unemployed who until 1996 were included in Income Support caseloads. Income Support for the unemployed was replaced by income-based Jobseeker's Allowance from October 1996.
3. Numbers are based on sample cases and will therefore be subject to sampling error.
4. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
5. The local authority district is assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant 1995–1999 version 1 postcode directories.
Improving educational attainment is an intrinsic part of our strategy for tackling the causes of poverty and social exclusion. In 1997 in Shropshire, 62 per cent. of students in English and 61 per cent. in Maths achieved Level 4 and above in Key Stage 2. By 1999 this had improved to 74 per cent. in English and 72 per cent. in Maths.The health of our children is also an important indicator of levels of poverty and social exclusion. In Shrewsbury and Atcham in 1997–98, the rate at which children (aged under 16) were admitted to hospital as a result of an unintentional injury resulting in a hospital stay of more than three days was 1.5 per thousand (to the nearest 0.5 per thousand). This is broadly unchanged from 1995–96.
Further information on the indicators we will use to monitor its progress in tackling poverty and social exclusion, including definitions and baseline data, was placed in the House of Commons Library on 21 September to accompany "Opportunity for All".