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Minister comments on poverty statistics
10/06/2008
Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell today commented on statistics showing that the number of children living in low income families has not changed since 2004-05.
Responding to the Households Below Average Income statistics - covering the period 2006-07 - Mr Maxwell said that full control over the tax and benefits system would enable the Scottish Government to tackle poverty and low income more effectively.
Highlighting statistics which show 210,000 Scottish children living in low income families, a figure Mr Maxwell said was 'morally unacceptable', he urged the UK Government to do more to halve child poverty by 2010.
Mr Maxwell said:
"The devolution settlement means we are fighting with one hand tied behind our back, restricting the Scottish Government's ability to take significant action to lift families out of poverty.
"It is morally unacceptable that almost a quarter of our children are still being born into or condemned to live a life of hardship.
"Tackling inequalities in our society is a massive challenge and, although we have limited levers to effect change, we are determined to address these issues with a range of policies across Scottish Government portfolios.
"We are striving to improve the life chances of all our people and target the causes of poverty by providing greater access to jobs, improving early years provision, enhancing skills and educational achievement, and through the regeneration of our communities, better health and public services.
"Reaching the 2010 target therefore can only be achieved through significant extra efforts by the UK Government."
"Scotland has a proud history of compassion and an ethos of social justice - that history will inform our work as we build a better Scotland."
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Scottish Households Below Average Income 2006-07 containing key statistics on the number of children, working age adults and pensioners in low-income poverty.
The Scottish Government Discussion Paper on Tackling Poverty, Inequality and Deprivation in Scotland promotes discussion across the country on how the Government should deliver on its ambitions in this area, what things it could do within its existing powers and where greater fiscal powers could allow the Scottish Government to do more to lift people out of poverty. The Anti-Poverty Framework is expected to be published later this year and will form a delivery plan for the solidarity target.
The Scottish Government has made 'early years' a national priority. The Early Years Framework will be published later in the year, a scheme is currently being piloted to provide universal free school meals and the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities will shortly publish its recommendation for reducing health inequalities.
The Scottish Government has funded, and will continue to fund for the next three years, the Child Poverty Action Group Second Tier Advice Project. This project provides second tier support on Tax Credits and other welfare benefits to welfare rights advisors across Scotland.
The Scottish Government also funds One Parent Families Scotland to run a lone parent Helpline. This dedicated helpline provides advice and signposting to lone parents on a number of issues such as income, childcare, education, housing, legal right and employment.