This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Progress against social justice milestones
17/12/2003
Success in reducing poverty and unemployment and in
reducing teenage pregnancies was highlighted today as the
Executive published a report on its latest progress against
its social justice milestones.
The report,
Social Justice, Indicators of Progress 2003 features 29
milestones towards tackling poverty and disadvantage
experienced by children, young people, families and working
age people, older people and communities. Of the 29
milestones, 17 were heading in the right direction, two
were heading in the wrong direction and all but one of the
rest remained static.
The milestones indicated progress in:
* taking children, families, working age people and
pensioners out of poverty,
* reducing teenage pregnancies among 13-15 year olds,
* increasing employment rates for lone parents and
those from ethnic minorities
* and increasing access to quality care and early
learning before children enter primary school.
Reducing the numbers of households living in
temporary accommodation was moving in the wrong direction.
The target to reduce days lost every year through exclusion
from school and truancy was also moving in the wrong
direction but Ministers have already announced an end to
national targets
on exclusions.
Communities Minister, Margaret Curran said:
"Many of the milestones highlighted in today's report
demonstrate that our policies are working. In tackling
poverty it is of course vital to tackle low income but it
is just as important for us to continue to concentrate
resources on tackling poor quality housing, educational
attainment, ill health and access to childcare, training
and employment - particularly in deprived communities and
amongst disadvantaged groups of people. We remain
committed to tackling homelessness and have committed #127
million to enable local authorities to develop their
homelessness services."
The Executive has invested 127 million pounds over
three years to enable local authorities to develop and
increase their homelessness services. The latest
statistics - published in September 2003 - showed an
increase in households in temporary accommodation.
However, this was expected following progressive changes in
the law that mean many more people are eligible for
help.