Q: Minister, what are you doing right now to fix Birmingham child poverty crisis? A: Not enough

With the new Labour Government's first Budget just over a fortnight away, we asked Minister Liz Kendall if anything would be done to fix Birmingham's desperate child poverty crisis - this is what she told us

The schoolboy who started his day by eating a bowl of salad cream because there was nothing else in the cupboards is something that clearly moves MP Liz Kendall as she speaks of him.

It is an abject image of child poverty in the 21st century - but not one likely to trigger shock among those working on the frontline with families in deprived areas of Birmingham, who say such awful examples are now commonplace. Ms Kendall, Work and Pensions Secretary and co-lead of the Labour Government's new child poverty taskforce, was speaking during a visit to Birmingham.

She was in the city this week, October 8, to support West Midlands mayor Richard Parker's flagship plans to tackle youth unemployment by raising opportunities by opening up 20,000 work experience placements, training opportunities and apprenticeships training.

READ MORE: Birmingham youth can have hope for future despite fears over city council cuts - mayor

She described it as an example of the Government's long-term, practical strategy to close the inequality gap. BirminghamLive took the opportunity to press the minister on what was being done short-term in the meantime to ease child poverty - triggering a passionate response from her.

We previously presented the minister with a copy of our landmark project 'Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency' during the Labour Party conference and asked her to review it as part of her leadership of the taskforce. It includes eight immediate asks, top of which is to lift the two-child benefit cap imposed on families with three or more children.

That's because Birmingham has a higher number of large families in poverty than other parts of the country, and because every child poverty campaign and charity say it's a welfare policy that needs to end urgently.

Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency

Child poverty is soaring in Birmingham and without urgent change, will only get worse. Having worked with charities and community groups, BirminghamLive is campaigning for the following changes to start to turn the tide:

1. End the two-child benefit cap
2. Provide free school meals to every child in poverty
3. Create a city “aid bank” for baby and child essentials
4. Protect children’s and youth services
5. Create permanent, multi year Household Support Fund and give more Discretionary Housing grants
6. Set up child health and wellbeing hubs in our most deprived neighbourhoods
7. Appoint a Birmingham child poverty tsar
8. Provide free public travel for young people

You can see why in more detail here.

Read our full report Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency here.

What you can do to help.

We asked if the imminent Budget on October 30 would make this step. While not giving a clear answer, Ms Kendall hinted heavily that it would not.

She repeated warnings the incoming Government had inherited a very difficult financial and economic situation which left them unable to go as far as they would like on providing immediate support.

"This region has the worst child poverty in the country. There are 500,000 children growing up poor in the West Midlands. That's unacceptable," she agreed. "Despite the £22 billion black hole we faced from the Tories, we have put £421 million to extend the Household Support Fund nationally (by six months to March), which will help the very poorest families over this winter.

"We are starting our programme of rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school, which will make a big difference to children because you can't fulfil your potential if you haven't got food in your belly and you can't concentrate. So there are steps we are taking now."

"We won't be able to do everything overnight, but we are absolutely determined to drive down poverty and drive up opportunity. One of the big differences now on child poverty from when we were last in government, when we lifted 600,000 kids out of poverty, is that there are far more children growing up poor in a house where somebody is working. This week you will see us put forward our plans to make work pay, and a new deal for working people that will really change the lives of working people in this country. That is the difference we're making now.

"I don't pretend we're solving everything or changing everything overnight, but we're making a start and we're determined to go further."

We also highlighted to the minister some of the other urgent asks in 'Birmingham: A Child Poverty Emergency'. These include a need to ringfence statutory support for youth services to protect provision and a call for the Household Support Fund to be made multi-year and permanent.

Pressed again on the issue, she added: "I understand people are fed-up, don't believe things can change. I think people have had the hope kicked out of them for the last 15 years.

"But I know we can make a difference. When we (Labour) were last in government, living standards were rising. When we were in government, the economy was growing. At the beginning of our time in government, we had the New Deal for young people, which got them into work at the end of the financial crash. We had the Future Jobs Fund. Government can make a difference."

Addressing our continued concerns about the slow pace of action, she added: "When I was elected in 2010, I had over 15 children's centres in Leicester. What have I got now? One family hub.

"I have one in three kids growing up poor. I have food banks in my primary schools. I have kids who the poor teachers are trying to go out and get to come into school. A boy who had a bowl of salad cream for breakfast.

"So I am determined I'm not going to promise I can wave a magic wand; I know it's frustrating, but we are determined to act. I wouldn't be in this job if I didn't believe things could change."