Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 11 June 2024
11 Jun 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Child Poverty
I will acknowledge that the Scottish Government now has the highest-ever block grant to spend here in Scotland to deliver—[Interruption.]
If SNP MSPs can say that they do not have the highest-ever block grant, I am willing to hear that, but the truth is that more money has now come from the UK Government to the Scottish Government than ever before in the history of devolution, but we still find ourselves in a situation where a quarter of children are still living in poverty in Scotland.
Another issue that the SNP pledged to deal with is the poverty-related attainment gap. The SNP has seemingly backtracked on its promise that John Swinney was the man who would deliver. Shirley-Anne Somerville, whom he has just been speaking to, admitted last year:
“In reality … I think that it would be exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, to get to the point of zero.”—[Official Report, Education, Children and Young People Committee, 18 January 2023; c 24.]
Is that now confirmation from John Swinney and his Government that they will not eradicate that poverty-related attainment gap?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13566, in the name of John Swinney, on Scottish Government priorities: eradicating child poverty. I invit...
The First Minister (John Swinney)
SNP
When I accepted the Parliament’s nomination as First Minister, I made it clear that the single greatest priority for my Government would be the eradication o...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I appreciate the way in which the First Minister has approached the debate. We will all be grateful to put the election to one side in order to take part. I ...
The First Minister
SNP
I know that Mr Briggs has a long history of raising that serious issue, which cannot be divorced from the challenges on the availability of housing stock in ...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Given that the First Minister is talking about children in poverty in school and interventions over the school holidays, can he comment on whether all local ...
The First Minister
SNP
We will take forward the issue in dialogue with local authorities. As Mr Marra will know, local authorities act independently of the Government and they have...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I think that every member in the chamber agrees that we must eradicate child poverty, that no child should go to bed hungry and that every child deserves the...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic (Kate Forbes)
SNP
Does the member think that it is a distraction to have lifted 100,000 children out of poverty?
Douglas Ross
Con
I am saying that there is consensus. I do not think that anyone is trying to say that one party or the other has all the answers. I will go over some of the...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Will Mr Ross give way?
Douglas Ross
Con
I am looking at the First Minister, the member’s boss, who I think wants to come in first. If I have time, I will come back to Mr Stewart.
The First Minister
SNP
I hope that Mr Stewart will forgive me for getting in here. Mr Ross and I know that he and I will never agree on the constitutional question—unless, of co...
Douglas Ross
Con
I do not believe that it is. That is why I came here today. I am leading this debate on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives because I think that it is right...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will Mr Ross take an intervention?
Douglas Ross
Con
Is there any time in hand, Presiding Officer?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Yes.
Douglas Ross
Con
I will give way to Mr Stewart.
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I am glad to hear Mr Ross say that the eradication of child poverty should be a priority for all of us. Will he try to persuade his Westminster colleagues to...
Douglas Ross
Con
If Kevin Stewart and others will allow me, the way that I will approach this debate is by putting forward some of the things that we can do in the Scottish P...
The First Minister
SNP
Will the member give way?
Douglas Ross
Con
I am sorry. If I have time at the end, I will come back to the First Minister. In the 2021 election, the SNP Government promised to end homelessness and rou...
The First Minister
SNP
Mr Ross sets out a laudable aim, and the Government is working as fast as it can to deliver on that objective. However, the challenge that Mr Ross has ignore...
Douglas Ross
Con
I will acknowledge that the Scottish Government now has the highest-ever block grant to spend here in Scotland to deliver—Interruption. If SNP MSPs can say ...
The First Minister
SNP
Will the member give way?
Douglas Ross
Con
I will give way if I have time, or the ministers can come back to the point when summing up.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You have a little time, Mr Ross.
Douglas Ross
Con
I have a little time. We will go for a hat trick, First Minister.
The First Minister
SNP
We should probably leave the footballing analogies for another day. On the question of the poverty-related attainment gap, the Government remains absolutely...
Douglas Ross
Con
What has made the actions of the Government more difficult is its priorities and the way in which it has chosen to spend the record block grant from the UK G...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As we have already heard, there is no issue that we debate in this chamber that is more important than the work to tackle child poverty; all parliamentarians...