Child poverty rise condemned by MP

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th Mar 2007

A Motion criticising the Government for an increase in the number of children who are officially deemed to be living in poverty has been Tabled at the House of Commons in advance of the Easter Recess.

The Motion - draws attention to the fact that child poverty is rising in Britain for the first time in almost ten years - has been Tabled by the Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, Bob Russell.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions says that 2.8 million children are living in poverty, an increase of 100,000 since 2004/05, a figure which rises to 3.8 million when housing costs are taken into account.

Mr Russell said: "I agree with the view of the Chief Executive of child charity Barnardo's, Mr Martin Narey, that the figures are a moral disgrace. My Motion calls on the Government to take the necessary action to rid Britain of child poverty which has no place in a civilised society and one of the richest economies in the world."