2 The poverty and social exclusion survey of Britain: implications for the assessment of social security provision for children in Europe

Poverty and social exclusion are growing concerns in Britain, and in Europe as a whole. The targets for abolishing both have become a major part of the policy agenda of national Governments and of the European Commission. The Lisbon European Council Summit and subsequent European Council Meeting in Nice requires Member States to develop priorities for the combating of poverty and social exclusion, and to ‘submit by June 2001 a national action plan covering a two-year period and to define indicators and monitoring mechanisms capable of measuring progress’ (EC, 2000).