Hull North MP Diana Johnson today told the House of Commons about rising child poverty in Hull North.
Speaking in Work and Pensions Questions today Diana Johnson MP said: "According to the most recent figures published under this Government, 53% of children in the Orchard Park and Greenwood ward in my constituency are living in poverty, compared with 11% in the neighbouring constituency of Haltemprice and Howden.
"What is the Minister going to do to ensure that we do not end up with a permanently divided society?"
Steve Webb MP, Lib Dem Minister responding, said: "We now have over 300,000 fewer children living in workless households, with more falls since those figures were put together. That is the best antidote to child poverty."
Commenting after the Commons exchange, Diana Johnson MP said: "The Institute for Fiscal Studies has forecast child poverty increasing by 400,000 by 2015 - and 900,000 by 2020.
"Already since 2010, while millionaires had a tax cut, 600,000 more children in working households fell into absolute poverty, after housing costs. The most recent figures showed a third of Hull North children in poverty - 53% in Orchard Park and Greenwood.
"Despite this shameful record, Coalition Ministers have been keener to change the way child poverty is measured than actually fighting it. The complacent response to my question from the Lib Dem Minister, claiming that having more people in low paid work would automatically reduce poverty, is disproved by the fact that so many of the families falling into poverty and ending up in Food Banks are actually in work."
The exchange took place in the House of Commons today (Monday, 3 November) at 3.10pm.