This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Mapping the future in fight against poverty
14/06/2004
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation will
allows future regeneration and anti-poverty efforts to
be better targeted, according to Communities Minister
Margaret Curran.
The Index, published today, divides the country
into 6505 zones, and lists them from the most to the
least deprived.
Margaret Curran said: "This is a useful tool providing
up to date data at the neighbourhood level to help the
Executive and others better target their resources and
efforts at those in most need for maximum benefit.
"We know that that some of Scotland's communities have
faced deprivation over a long period. This index gives us
more information on deprivation at a much more localised
level.
"These figures show that in general across the
Executive, we have been targeting the right areas with
investment in things like housing and health.
"But even though we have we made real progress, for
example taking 210,000 children out of poverty since 1997,
there is no room for complacency.
"We now have more detail than ever before on smaller
pockets of deprivation. This will enable us and other
bodies like the UK government and local authorities, to
target our efforts better than before as we move ahead to
regenerate our communties and in the fight against
poverty."