Gordon Brown is facing a call from the Child Poverty Action Group to transfer more than £5 billion a year to families and children if the government is to achieve its target of abolishing child poverty.

The campaign group argues that the government's claims to have lifted 1.2 million children out of poverty were misleading because they assumed that the number would have risen after 1997 if Conservative policies had continued.

Forum Response: The Children's Society

A spokesperson for the Children's Society told ePolitix.com: "Poverty has a detrimental impact on children's health, education and employment prospects, and children growing up in poverty are at increased risk of being involved in offending.

"In addition, growing up in family poverty can be a major factor in pre-determining their adult experience.

"The Children's Society wishes to highlight the need for holistic long-term solutions. Solutions which seek to address the needs of complex, failed local economies.

"Additionally, to tackle the associated marginalisation and isolation of individual communities suffering from poverty and deprivation in both urban and rural areas.

"We are also keen to involve business and faith communities in contributing towards ending child poverty."