Press release on key Poverty Stats

Mike Hedges AM welcomes REPORTS WHICH SHOW progress towards key tackling poverty targets

Welsh Labour’s Tackling Poverty Minister, Lesley Griffiths and Education Minister, Huw Lewis, have jointly welcomed the publication of two new reports which show that the Welsh Labour Government is making good progress towards key targets aimed at tackling poverty.

 

Mike Hedges said … ‘I welcome these reports which confirm that progress is being made on addressing poverty in our most deprived communities. I visit the Communities First Clusters in Swansea East on a regular basis and see for myself the progress made.

 

I am also aware of the huge progress made with young children through the Flying Start program and welcome work that aims to assist children at the youngest ages.

 

I also welcome the news that progress is being made on providing additional affordable homes; we have over 5000 people on the housing waiting list and any action that provides extra houses or brings back in to use derelict ones is welcome.’

 

 

 

The ‘Tackling Poverty Action Plan’ and ‘Rewriting the Future’ annual reports show that the Welsh Labour Government has:

·         Reached its target of reducing the attainment gap at the end of the Foundation Phase between pupils eligible for free school meals and those who are not by 10%, three years ahead of schedule.

·         Made good progress in reducing the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) in Wales. The proportion of young people aged 16 to 18 who were considered NEET at end 2013 was 10%, just one percentage point off the target for 2017.

·         Maintained an employment rate well above the historical average. The percentage of workless households in Wales fell from 23% in 2009 to 19.3% in 2013. While the same period also saw the percentage of children living in workless households fall from 20% to 16.5%. The Welsh Labour Government’s Lift Programme is also progressing well. As at the end of May 2015, Lift had provided 1,821 training and employment opportunities to people from workless households, with 314 people helped to secure employment.

·         Made good progress towards meeting its ambitious housing targets of creating 10,000 additional affordable homes and bringing 5,000 empty houses back into use by 2016. Between April 2011 and March 2014, 6,890 new affordable homes had been delivered across Wales, while 4,471 empty buildings were brought back into use, only 529 short of the target, with two years still to go.