6The persistent poverty target
(1)In relation to a financial year (“the relevant financial year”), the persistent poverty target is that less than the target percentage of children who have lived in qualifying households during each of the survey years have lived in households that have been within the relevant income group in at least 3 of the survey years.
(2)The survey years are—
(a)the calendar year that ends in the relevant financial year, and
(b)the 3 previous calendar years.
(3)For the purposes of this section, the target percentage is a percentage to be prescribed by regulations made before 2015.
(4)For the purposes of this section, a household falls within the relevant income group, in relation to a calendar year, if its equivalised net income for the year is less than 60% of median equivalised net household income for the year.
(5)Instead of exercising the power conferred by subsection (3), the Secretary of State may by regulations amend this section so as to substitute a different persistent poverty target for that set out in subsections (1) to (4).
(6)Regulations under subsection (5) may only be made—
(a)before 2015, and
(b)with the consent of the Commission.