Child poverty in the West Midlands

That this House expresses deep concern for the rise in child poverty rates throughout the West Midlands; regrets that, according to research conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), 38.5% of children in the region live in poverty, with the West Midlands constituting the only region throughout the UK that has seen poverty rates increase since the mid-1990s; is further concerned by JRF’s projections that the child poverty rate is highly unlikely to fall by 2029; and urges the Government to collaborate with local and combined authorities, charitable organisations and private entities to develop a targeted strategy for reducing child poverty in the West Midlands.