Even where poverty is on the decrease as it is in the United Kingdom, there can be areas of deprivation where people are excluded from the benefits of that economic growth. This is unfair and divisive. It also represents a huge waste of economic and human potential. The issues are complex. Within each region we can often see prosperity alongside areas of poverty.
Different communities face different local problems.
The challenges facing inner cities, our rural communities and areas of industrial decline are shared between regions and not exclusively within one or a number of regions. We are tackling these problems through targeted schemes, to improve health, education, housing and employment in areas with particular need. No two places are the same. There is no single solution that can be applied across the United Kingdom. What we need therefore are policies which empower communities so they can determine their own future and co-ordinate action at the neighbourhood, local, regional and national level.