The Government has made tackling social exclusion a major policy objective. It is a complex set of inter-related and mutually reinforcing problems, generally caused or exacerbated by local economic failure and includes factors such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown. Much of the DTI's work in liberalising world trade, through promoting competition to encouraging enterprise plays a part in tackling social exclusion. There are also specific measures to help directly such as the national minimum wage, the universal bank and work on debt advice. All such work is done by the relevant DTI directorates and not the Social Inclusion team which co-ordinates this work, e.g. in cross departmental activities. Links to sites of interest include:

Cabinet Office - Social Exclusion Unit Website

DTLR Neighbourhood Renewal Unit Website

The Small Business Service Phoenix Fund

DTI Neighbourhood Renewal Implementation Strategy