James visited Leamington Children's Centre to lend his support to the 'End Child Poverty' campaign 

In 1998/99 Britain had the worst record on child poverty of any major European nation with 3.4 million children living in poverty. Child poverty had more than doubled in the previous two decades.

In 1999, the Government pledged to eradicate child poverty by 2020, one of the most ambitious policy objectives set by any government in the developed world. Significant progress has been made; there are now 600,000 fewer children living in poverty than in 1998/99.

The government has recently announced the formation of a Joint Child Poverty Unit to ensure a cross-government approach to meeting the target.

Sure Start Children’s Centres play a vital role in helping deliver this target.  The centre in Lillington is one of 1,524 the government has opened so far, with a plan for the total to reach 2,500 by the end of 2008.  This effort is supported by over 600,000 more child care places, and the expansion of universal nursery education for 3 and 4 year olds.