The Government can certainly meet both the 2010 and 2020 targets. But they will have to significantly step up their action to keep these promises.
The Work and Pensions Select Committee report, released today, says that the government can meet the 2010 targets if it invests more in the inomces of the poorest families through childrens benefits and tax credits. This must be the domestic priority for next week's budget. The IFS says it will take extra investment of £3.4bn to reach the target. In the grand scheme of things, it is not very much given the great benefits that will result and the major saving to the public purse firther down the line from improving poor children's outcomes.