The Government will look into how to incorporate Household Expenditure Survey data when dealing with the issue of poverty, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said today.

Dr Law was speaking to the media, saying the Government conducts the survey every five years and that the next survey will start in 2019 and end in mid-2020.

He said: “We would have some data by the end of 2020 to look at how expenditure affects the livelihood (of households) and see how we can incorporate such data to look at the poverty situation.

“We don't have year-to-year data for expenditure, but the expenditure survey to be done every five years will give us some hints to understand it.”

Dr Law also said it would be almost impossible to eradicate poverty under the relative poverty concept.

“If you are rich and I am less rich than you, I am relatively poorer than you.

“So somehow in terms of relative poverty, it would be almost impossible (to eradicate poverty). Particularly under a market economy, that would be impossible."

He added the Government will explore the feasibility in providing afterschool care services in kindergartens to assist grassroots families.

The service will provide support to those families and allow the parents to join the workforce, Dr Law said.