"Put Child Trust Fund money into early year's support" - Kevin Lang

10.10.04pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 18th Jun 2007

Kevin wants to see the money that is being wasted on Child Trust Funds put into early year's education and support.

Liberal Democrat Kevin Lang has called on the UK Government to stop wasting money on Child Trust Funds after latest figures showed a take up rate of barely two thirds amongst eligible families in Edinburgh North & Leith.

The Liberal Democrats have also revealed that the Government has spent £14m promoting Child Trust Funds. The research showed how:

· £25,000 was spent paying Emmerdale actress Sheree Murphy to promote the funds.

· Alvin Hall has so far been paid £75,000 in ongoing work to promote the CTF, even though HMRC admits that he 'has not achieved high levels of recognition in the context of CTF with less than one in ten of each audience aware of him.'

· Constituencies with poorer families have much lower take up rates than those with better off families. The Government admits that '...those who open an account are considerably more likely than those who haven't to be older (30+) and from the higher social classes.'

Liberal Democrat Westminster spokesman for Edinburgh North & Leith, Kevin Lang said, "Child Trust Funds have been an expensive gimmick from a Labour Government out of ideas.

"In Edinburgh North & Leith, barely two thirds of eligible families have actually taken up their Child Trust Funds. Worse still, all the evidence suggests that it is poorer families who are losing out. This scheme was supposed to help families in greatest need but they are ones missing out.

"Rather than hiring expensive celebrities and spending millions of pounds promoting a scheme that people clearly do not want, the UK Government should reinvest the money in early years education and support. That would be a far more effective use of taxpayers' money."