What we are determined to do is ensure that everyone gets the best possible chance in life and that we meet the target of getting rid of child poverty within a generation. The government estimates there are 12 million people living in relative poverty, nearly a quarter of the population and almost three times as many as in 1979. It says four million are children, with one in five children living in workless households.
Poverty is defined as a family who live on less than half the average income.
For a family with three children, this is about 220 a week. Prime Minister Tony Blair has already pledged to eliminate child poverty by 2020. Progress on the poverty audit targets will be checked annually. It includes existing government initiatives such as the New Deal programme to get people into work, increases in Child Benefit and the Sure Start programme. Sure Start is aimed at children up to the age of four living in the most deprived areas of the country.