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Theresa May has responded to the plight of Liverpool families who cannot afford to feed their children by telling them to get a job.

The Prime Minister was quizzed by new Liverpool Walton MP Daniel Carden in the Commons today who said that almost 40% of children in his constituency are growing up in poverty.

In his first contribution to Prime Minister’s Questions since his landslide election in June, Mr Carden said: “With schools closing this week and local support services cut to the bone, austerity bites and kids don’t get fed.

“The Prime Minister’s mission is to make Britain a country that works for everyone, what is she doing to stop kids going hungry this Summer in Liverpool Walton?”

Responding, Mrs May said that the Labour MP was correct to look at the provision that is made for children in schools.

But the she reverted to an answer about the importance of people finding work.

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The Prime Minister said: “We look at these issues of households and poverty, but as I said to the leader of the opposition, the best way that we can deal with poverty, the best route out of poverty is for people to get into the workplace and for us to ensure that there are other jobs and better paid jobs being provided for people in the future.”

Speaking after the sessions, Mr Carden said: “I urged Theresa May to set out how struggling families and children can be supported over the summer holidays.

“Unfortunately she declined to give the answer that worried parents in Walton and across the country wanted to hear.

“Mrs May could have offered struggling mums and dads some hope for this summer. She could have said that she will act to ensure that kids won’t go hungry this summer and will return to school in September fit for learning.

“She chose not to.

“The children of Walton, and across the country, deserve far better from their government. If this Tory one cannot act to put food in poorer children’s bellies, then they don’t deserve to be in office. They need to go. Let Labour get on with the job of giving our kids a decent chance in life.”

And Twitter users were equally unimpressed with the PM’s response to Mr Carden’s question.

The ECHO is currently running a Share Your Lunch holiday hunger appeal and is close to reaching its £10,000 target which will ensure thousands of Merseyside children do not go hungry this summer.