New figures released by the Campaign to End Child Poverty today show the shocking extent of child poverty in Sussex.

Pointing to the negative impact of the Coalition's extensive public spending cuts, Caroline said:

"That as many as 50,000 children in our region - 16% of all children in my constituency of Pavilion alone - are suffering the dire consequences of poverty and deprivation is absolutely unacceptable.

"Damningly, this crisis is exacerbated by the Coalition Government's savage and unnecessary cuts to public services, and its deeply unfair attack on the welfare provisions that give so many people a helping hand in difficult times.

"Brighton Housing Trust's Andy Winter highlights the changes to housing benefit entitlement in his latest blog, for example, which will mean 5,800 homes becoming unaffordable for those in the city on housing benefit.

"The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that a couple with two children will be £1,250 a year worse off by 2015 thanks to 'the burden of austerity'.

"Meanwhile, unemployment is rising and too few jobs are being created."

The Pavilion MP continued:

"When I visited the Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project last week, it was clear that demand amongst local people for its services has massively increased in recent months.

"Without their offer of food, clothing and childcare assistance, many people would have nowhere to turn.  

"But with budgets under severe pressure, organisations such as BUCFP can only do so much.

"The Government must now acknowledge the scale of child poverty in Sussex and across the UK, and urgently reverse its draconian austerity programme."

ENDS