A WIRRAL MP is calling on the Government to "get serious" about its target for cutting the rate of persistent child poverty in the region.

The Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition is proposing to set a target of less than 7% by 2020 for persistent child poverty, which measures the number of children living in poverty for three out of four years.

But Liverpool City Reigion Child Poverty commission - chaired by Birkenhead MP Frank Field - challenged the government to set a target that will make a real difference.

The commission is calling for a target of 5%. Based on historical data, if Government was to set a target of 7%, it would be able to achieve its objective without having to specifically focus on tackling persistent poverty.

The commission is challenging the Government to develop a set of life chances indicators to run alongside the traditional income poverty measurements.

Frank Field MP said: "Tackling child poverty is too important to be left only to the Government.

"Whilst it must play its part, our commission has been working since 2010 to take action across Merseyside on low pay, the costs of living, and making sure children are ready to start school.

"We believe that a revised set of child poverty measures is required to better reflect the evidence on its underlying causes and the measures that are proven to produce the best outcomes for children's life chances.

"We are therefore urging the Government to set itself an ambitious and meaningful target to ensure it is making the right pace of change, but more importantly, sustaining it."