Ms June Tinsley:

I will conclude by posing the question as to why we, as a society, are willing to accept a situation where one in eight children is living in consistent poverty. We are coming out the other end of the recession, but we seem to be willing to accept that there are inherent stumbling blocks which prevent children from reaching their potential. At the same time, however, we know the answer to tackling the problem of child poverty can come in the form of investing in early years provision, which helps to create a level playing field for children. My request to the Government as we approach the budget and a general election is to take decisive action to tackle the fact that one in eight children is living in consistent poverty. That is totally unacceptable. My three wishes are to restore the capitation grant for the free preschool year, extend the community subvention scheme and introduce paid parental leave to facilitate parents to stay at home for the first year of their baby's life.