[Geo4All] UK Government launches Ministerial taskforce for 4 million UK children in poverty

Wed Dec 4 09:15:04 PST 2024

Dear colleagues,

I read this upsetting article today in Food Foundation website

Children reduced to stealing food cards because they can't afford to eat at school | Food Foundation <https://foodfoundation.org.uk/news/children-reduced-stealing-food-cards-because-they-cant-afford-eat-school>

To keep you all updated, I have received response from the UK Government to my email send about ending child poverty and the educational attainment gap. Details at https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2024-July/006509.html

In the reply letter that I received on 29 July 2024 from the UK Government Head of Ministerial Correspondence Team says "The Government knows that child poverty has gone up by 700,000 since 2010 with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. This not only harms children’s lives now, it also damages their future prospects and holds back our economic potential as a country. The Government wants to bring about lasting change, which is why, on 17 July, it announced its joint ministerial taskforce with both the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education, to begin work on an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy. The Government is creating a Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office which will report to the taskforce and bring together expert officials from across government as well as external experts.

Recognising the wide-ranging root causes of child poverty, Secretaries of State from across Government will take part in this work, with the first meeting set to take place in the coming weeks. The Government’s Taskforce will work closely with parents, charities and civil organisations as part of the Government’s ambitious strategy and the Government has already started this vital work by listening to experts and campaigners to support it."

I humbly request the UK Government to please do the following urgently

Implement universal Free School Meals for all students, starting with those whose families are on Universal Credit
Auto-enrol all eligible students onto Free School Meals 
Increase the income threshold for Free School Meal eligibility (e.g. up to £15,000 as in Northern Ireland) 
Eliminate the two-child benefit cap 
Expand and increase holiday food support programmes
Improve food quality standards in schools 
I humbly request the UK Government to please listen and have compassion. Thank you.

Best wishes

Suchith

Professor Suchith Anand
Professor of Practice in Science Policy | Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | Global Citizen | SDG Volunteer and Advocate
https://www.exeter.ac.uk <https://www.exeter.ac.uk/>
https://ethicaldatainitiative.org <https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/>

> 
> 
> From: Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>
> Subject: UK Government launches Ministerial taskforce for 4 million UK children in poverty
> Date: 18 July 2024 at 00:15:42 BST
> 
> 
> Dear colleagues,
> 
> I thank the UK government for launching the Ministerial taskforce to kickstart work on child poverty strategy.
> 
> Details at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-taskforce-launched-to-kickstart-work-on-child-poverty-strategy
> 
> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn081lyqw44o
> 
> The gap in attainment between richer and poorer students is at its widest (at both primary and secondary level) since 2011.
>  
> Details at https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/jul/16/rich-poor-education-attainment-gap-england
> 
> I am calling for a long-term national strategy to close the attainment gap, alongside wider efforts to reduce, and ultimately to end child poverty in the UK. Urgent action is needed by the UK government to tackle this issue.
> 
> I am grateful to everyone working for education opportunities for all.
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Suchith
> 
> 
> From: Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk <mailto:Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>>
> Sent: 08 July 2024 22:01
> Subject: Kids call on UK government to do more to end child poverty
>  
> Dear colleagues,
> 
> Eradicating child poverty should be biggest priority for the UK government. This shared mission will bring together all political parties.  
> 
> I would like to thank Scottish Government for including eradicating child poverty as a key priority. Details at https://www.gov.scot/news/first-minister-welcomes-prime-minister-to-bute-house/
> 
> I am looking forward to the next steps that the Scottish Government and the UK Government will take for eradicating child poverty.
> 
> I am grateful to everyone working for education opportunities for all.
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Suchith
> 
> From: Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk <mailto:Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>>
> Sent: 06 July 2024 11:01
> To: OER-DISCUSS at JISCMAIL.AC.UK <mailto:OER-DISCUSS at JISCMAIL.AC.UK> 
> Subject: Kids call on UK government to do more to end child poverty
>  
> Dear colleagues,
> 
> Congratulations to the new UK government for the  landslide victory! I am looking forward to working with you for quality education opportunities for all.
> 
> This article 'You can hear your stomach growling': Kids call on next government to do more to end child poverty published in Big Issue on 10 June 2024 highlights the issue of poverty that is impacting millions of children across the UK.
> 
> Details at https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/child-poverty-pupil-premium-general-election-childhood-trust/ 
> 
> I have written an open letter requesting UK Government to urgently take steps to provide Free School Meals to all students in all UK schools
> 
> Details at https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2024-June/006497.html 
> 
> I request the kind support of all UK Political parties and UK Government to help make possible Free School Meals to all students (till Year 13) in all UK schools.
> 
> I am grateful to everyone working for education opportunities for all.
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Suchith
> 
> From: Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk <mailto:Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>>
> Sent: 15 June 2024 18:54
> To: OER-DISCUSS at JISCMAIL.AC.UK <mailto:OER-DISCUSS at JISCMAIL.AC.UK> 
> Subject: Kids call on next government to do more to end child poverty
>  
> Dear colleagues
> 
> This article 'You can hear your stomach growling': Kids call on next government to do more to end child poverty “ published in Big Issue on 10 June 2024 highlights the issue of poverty that is impacting millions of children across the UK.
> 
> Details at https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/child-poverty-pupil-premium-general-election-childhood-trust/
> 
> There are 4.3 million children across the UK living in povertyhttps://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/uk-poverty-the-facts-figures-effects-solutions-cost-living-crisis/
> 
> The UK is one of the most unequal rich countries <https://equalitytrust.org.uk/scale-economic-inequality-uk>. By 2023, the richest 50 families in the UK held more wealth than half of the UK population, comprising 33.5 million people. UK has a multi-millionaire as the Prime Minister.
> 
> Fund to wipe school meal debt opened in Scotland
> 
> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9l9e7l2v7o
> 
> The pain of hunger is the same for everyone. I am humbly requesting all UK Billionaires to kindly have some compassion. 
> 
> Equality Trust Releases Cost of Inequality Report
> 
> What does inequality cost the UK? 
> £128.4 Billion each year
> 
> Details at https://equalitytrust.org.uk/news/equality-trust-releases-cost-inequality-report
> 
> What’s the impact of the UK’s inequality?
> 
> https://nottherichlist.co.uk/whats-the-impact-of-the-uks-inequality/
> 
> https://equalitytrust.org.uk/scale-economic-inequality-uk/#wealthinequality
> 
> What if the richest used their wealth for the common good? Presented by The Equality Trust. Details at https://nottherichlist.co.uk/
> 
> It's crucial that the next government acts on the UK's inequality of wealth and power.  
> 
> On this year’s Social Mobility Awareness Day 2024, I would like to humbly request all UK Political parties to please support Free School Meals to all students (till Year 13) in all UK schools.
> 
> https://www.bigissue.com/tag/free-school-meals/
> 
> I have written an open letter requesting UK Government to urgently take steps to provide Free School Meals to all students in all UK schools
> 
> Details at https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2024-June/006497.html
> 
> I request the kind support of all UK Political parties and UK Government to help make possible Free School Meals to all students (till Year 13) in all UK schools.
> 
> I am grateful to everyone working for education opportunities for all.
> 
> Best wishes
> 
> Suchith
> 
> Professor Suchith Anand
> Professor of Practice in Science Policy at the University of Exeter | Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | Global Citizen | SDG Volunteer and Advocate
> 
> Email - S.Anand at exeter.ac.uk <mailto:S.Anand at exeter.ac.uk> 
>  
> https://politics.exeter.ac.uk/staff/anand/
> https://ethicaldatainitiative.org <https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/>
> 
> 

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