Dear listener

So the government is to impose a legal obligation to end child poverty by 2020. Quite a vision. But what if the government, whichever party is in power, fails? Normally if we break the law some sanction is imposed. So will we see a future minister in the Department for Work and Pensions fined? Or picking up litter in an orange jacket with "Community Payback" stencilled in thick black type across their shoulders? No. We won't.

We know that because the government is about to miss another legally binding poverty target. In the heady days of the year 2000 when the whole century was ahead of us the government allowed through a backbencher's bill which imposed a legally binding duty on the government to end fuel poverty by 2010 for vulnerable groups and by 2016 for everyone. In other words by next year vulnerable people (and by 2016 everyone) would be able to afford a warm, well-lit home.

For a few years the number of people in fuel poverty – defined as spending more than 10% of disposable income on heating and lighting – fell from close to six million in 1998 to barely two million in 2003. But then the oil crisis led to big rises in fuel bills and despite numerous programmes to insulate homes, the number in fuel poverty is now estimated to be pretty much where it was in 1998 – about 5.5 million households. No-one - not even the government – now says that it will meet its own target. Which is legally binding. Or is it?

As we get close to the target being missed, the legal-bindingness of the law is being watered down. Ministers are reminding us that the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 imposes the duty "as far as reasonably practicable". Although this phrase does not appear in the Child Poverty Bill, it is unlikely the courts would intervene to force ministers to achieve the target it sets. The High Court recently refused to force ministers to do more to achieve the fuel poverty target when Friends of the Earth took the government to court to try to force policy changes to meet it. The judge, Mr Justice McCombe, called laws which imposed a duty (albeit as far as reasonably practicable) on government to meet its own policy objectives "unsound". The case is being appealed.

So. Much as we would all like to see the 2.9 million children living in poverty in the UK brought up in a household with an income of at least 60% of the median. And much as this government and its successors may work towards achieving it, making that target legally binding does not mean it will really happen. Still less that anyone will be punished if it does not. If ministers end up being pilloried it will be in the press not the village square.

*** IN THE BEST RADIO PROGRAMME THIS SATURDAY ***

Five stories are fighting off all comers to get on air this week.

Muscling in at the top is the tale of West Bromwich which survives in the Premier Division of the top 10 building societies. But is it still a building society now that it has shareholders whose returns depend on its profits? Discuss.

The administrators are still trying to sort out Key Data Investment Services which was forced into administration by an unexpected £5m tax debt. Will 85,000 customers who went for its "capital secure" products find their capital is in fact at risk? The answer seems to be "no, probably, for most of them". The administrator explains.

Fixed rate mortgages are getting more expensive –Nationwide and Yorkshire building societies and the nationalised bank Northern Rock are pushing up prices as I write. Should you fix now to avoid further rises?

The Prime Minister is meeting top Northern Ireland politicians about the Presbyterian Building Society next week. What hope for the 9,500 savers whose £300m remains frozen and much of which may be lost after the mutual called in the administrators earlier this year?

And we hear about the man who sued for libel when a debt he didn't owe was published on his credit record. And got damages.

Find out what squeezes in and what is forced out by listening to Money Box on Saturday at noon (repeated Sunday at 9pm). Never miss a show again by subscribing to our podcast. Do that through our website bbc.co.uk/moneybox where you can also listen again, Have Your Say, watch videos, read why we are the Best Radio Programme and find out more about all the items covered this week. In May our web pages and stories hit a new high again with viewings now more than 600,000 in the month.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS Don't forget the programme taster on BBC Breakfast between quarter to nine and nine o'clock. If you miss it, you can watch it on our website.

e-mail Paul Lewis