To ask the Minister for Communities to outline how his Department intends to utilise the statutory duties and mechanisms available under the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 in the development of the Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Mr Lyons

I anticipate that, throughout the lifespan of the strategy, as individual Departments develop and deliver actions, they may wish to use the potential of the Children's Services Co-operation Act to ensure a joined-up and sustainable approach to delivery. That will be especially important where actions to be delivered require partnership work and extend across the competency and vires of more than one Department. In particular, when developing the associated action plan for the anti-poverty strategy, I will ensure that colleagues consider the Children’s Service Co-operation Act where appropriate.

Mr Lyons

The Member is right to highlight that there are issues that cut across Departments, and that is why it is a cross-departmental and Executive anti-poverty strategy. There have been ongoing discussions at the cross-departmental working group level to look at the actions that we can put in place that will make a difference. We need to spend our money where it can be most effective and go towards those in need. That is where the issues come, along with the universal approach to free school meals in particular. I assure the Member that there has been close working with the Education Minister on a number of the issues that will affect children and young people in schools.

Mrs Cameron

Both Sinn Féin and the Alliance Minister have talked about introducing a child payment similar to that operating in Scotland. Has the Minister assessed that, and can he share any indications of associated costs?

Mr Lyons

I want to see targets set that are realistic, achievable, sustainable and, most important, based on evidence. The last estimate that we have of the cost of introducing a child payment in Northern Ireland is just short of £300 million a year, and that does not count IT and other delivery costs. However, I have yet to see clear evidence that that funding would have the intended impact. Scotland is not on track to meet its targets, despite the delivery of a new child payment costing their Government in excess of £471 million annually. Let me be clear: I am not at all opposed to spending more money to make sure that we tackle poverty, but I want it done in the right way. That highlights the distinction between choosing what is popular and what is right. We need to work hard at getting more people the opportunities they need, getting more people into work, tackling fuel poverty, having better energy efficiency and ensuring that we have better-paid jobs in Northern Ireland. That is what I want to focus on.