CHILD POVERTY

That this House is appalled that child poverty is rising in the UK for the first time in almost 10 years; is alarmed to observe that 2.8 million children, up from 2.7 million in 2004-05, according to figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions, are living below the poverty line, a figure which rises to 3.8 million when housing costs are taken into account; agrees with the Chief Executive of the child charity Barnardo's, Mr Martin Narey, that the figures are a moral disgrace; and calls on the Government to take the necessary action to rid the UK of child poverty, which has no place in a civilised society and one of the richest economies in the world.