‘Huge challenge’ for new social exclusion minister, says CPAG

Responding to the first keynote speech by the new Minister for Social Exclusion Hilary Armstrong, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said it was looking forward to working with her on “creating a fairer society free of child poverty.”

CPAG’s Chief Executive Kate Green said:

“Hilary Armstrong has a huge challenge on her hands, so we welcome her appointment and the high priority that the Prime Minister and the Government are giving to tackling social exclusion.

“Although 700,000 children have been lifted out of poverty, too many are still left behind. In a country as rich as ours poverty persists and all too often passes from one generation to the next, so the new Minister must urgently address its multiple causes and consequences.

“Despite the welcome extra money for children delivered through the tax credits system and the minimum wage, we cannot ignore the fact that too many families remain trapped in poverty because of low paid jobs and inadequate benefits.

“Based in the Cabinet Office, the new Minister is in an ideal place to use her clout to drive forward the anti-poverty agenda in every government department and ensure that Labour gets back on track towards meetings its ambitious child poverty targets.

“The next twelve months and the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review will be critical if the goal of halving child poverty by 2010 is to be achieved.”

For further information from CPAG please contact:
Alex Belardinelli
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
abelardinelli@cpag.org.uk