HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor attends launch of new Child Poverty Campaign [April 2001]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 10 April 2001.

Speaking in London today at the launch of the new End Child Poverty Coalition, Chancellor Gordon Brown said:

“As a result of measures introduced during this Parliament we have taken more than one million children out of poverty.

The next step is to take the second million out of poverty. And this will be a commitment of the next Parliament as we meet our goal of reducing child poverty by half in 10 years and abolishing it in a generation.

But we know child poverty cannot be abolished by Government alone, but by working with parents, voluntary, charitable and community organisations. That is why the new £450 million Children’s Fund is so vital to the task of tackling child poverty and social exclusion, with practical day-to-day support for parents, children and young people, and support of local projects run by local organisations.

I hope this coalition will become a new, powerful force  – an alliance of community and voluntary organisations, faith groups, parents – all those who share the ambition, of ending child poverty in our country and ensuring every child has the best start in life.”