Ministers defeated over plans to measure child poverty

The Government suffered a defeat in the Lords over plans to down-play income-related measures of child poverty levels.

Peers voted by 290 to 198, a majority of 92, to back an amendment to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill proposed by the Bishop of Durham which forces Ministers to present a report to Parliament each year setting out the percentage of children in low income households.

The Rt Rev Paul Butler said the income-related situation needed to be recorded so that it could be assessed with other measurements of deprivation.

Work and Pensions Minister Lord Freud said that "life chances" indicators were a better way of monitoring what was happening, and of directing Government resources most effectively to tackle the problem.