Labour outlines policies for children

With a little over 18 months until the next general election, Labour gave the children and young people's sector plenty to ponder following its annual conference in Brighton, with a range of policy announcements.

Party leader Ed Miliband used his speech to announce two key policies relating to children, young people and families that a future Labour government will adopt, while shadow chancellor Ed Balls unveiled plans to extend free childcare.

Miliband said the controversial under-occupancy tax, dubbed the "bedroom tax", would be axed under Labour, a move that will go down well with a host of charities that have been critical of it on child poverty grounds since its introduction in April. Speaking at a fringe meeting on welfare reform, shadow employment minister Stephen Timms summed up his party's thinking on the matter, stating that it was "utterly wrong" to "deny people a large chunk of their housing support as a punishment".