The Labour Party intends tackling the difficulties faced by children at risk of poverty by introducing regular meetings involving heads of schools, local councils, social services and the police, among others, Labour Leader Joseph Muscat said this afternoon.

Addressing a press conference in Qawra, Dr Muscat said the party believes these problems faced by children in households at risk of poverty required immediate attention because this was "unacceptable".

He said local councils should be given a wider role than just looking after the locality's tarmac and street lighting.

Dr Muscat said the party was also proposing regularly revising the threshold of social services to ensure that increases vulnerable families received did not cause more difficulties by excluding them from certain services because they would have surpassed the ceiling.

Moreover, the party is committed to following the Union Haddiema Maghqudin's Active Labour Market Policy, through the introduction of schemes so it "pays to work" and so that people on the unemployment list are encouraged to work.

Replying to questions on General Workers' Union general secretary Tony Zarb, Dr Muscat said he still had to listen to the full recording before commenting on his position.

However, he said he condemned anyone who made statements of intent on behalf of a prospective Labour government.