Minister must publish and act on Anti-Poverty Strategy immediately - Bell

10.32.00pm GMT Thu 9th Mar 2006

Alliance Equality Spokesperson Eileen Bell has said the Government's Anti-Poverty Strategy must be released immediately. She said there was no excuse for it not already having been published. She was reacting to news that the Government had not hit its own targets on tackling child poverty across the UK.

The North Down Assembly member stated: "I know for a fact that the 'Anti-Poverty Strategy' has been ready for publication for months. Why has it not been acted upon? What is the Government afraid of?

"It is a matter of extreme concern that New Labour has not hit its own targets on Child Poverty set four years ago. We in Northern Ireland are even worse off in that regard than elsewhere in the UK. Therefore it is essential that the strategy be placed in the public arena so that statutory agencies and voluntary/community sector bodies can come together

and get on with what needs to be done.

"The Minister has said the strategy will be put forward 'within weeks'. It is now a lot of weeks since he said that. The time to tackle poverty is now."

ENDS