Meeting of the Parliament 05 February 2025
We know that children and young people do not exist in isolation. They are directly and indirectly affected by their parents or carers and by economic stability or instability. Children from wealthier families often perform better in various aspects of life, including education, sport and overall wellbeing. That playing field must be levelled. I want to see a more equal and fair society and, for that to happen, we must support families to break cycles of poverty.
The SNP Scottish Government recognises that, and I am delighted that its commitment to eradicating child poverty is being matched with bold action. Thanks to the work of the Scottish Government, Scotland is set to be the only part of the UK to see a decline in child poverty rates in the coming years, with a growing gap between child poverty rates in Scotland and in Labour-run England and Wales.
The draft Scottish budget for next year will develop the systems necessary to, in effect, scrap the two-child cap in 2026. That decision by the SNP Government will lift a further 15,000 children out of poverty. As someone who has first-hand experience of childhood poverty, I can tell members that the impact that that will have on the lives of those children cannot be overestimated. It is about not only full bellies and warm homes but providing equal opportunity and an environment in which to thrive and succeed.
Education has a dominant role to play in all of that. Under the SNP Government, Scotland is the only part of the UK to have delivered 1,140 hours of universally funded early learning and childcare for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds. That childcare provision saves families an average of £5,500 per child per year, but—crucially—it helps with children’s development and supports parents to stay in or take up work or learning.
In its draft budget, the Scottish Government proposes to provide approximately £1 billion of investment to continue the provision of 1,140 hours of ELC next year. For children in school, it proposes to provide money for best start breakfasts and the expansion of breakfast clubs across Scotland, as well as £37 million to expand free school meal provision to P6s and P7s who are in receipt of the Scottish child payment. That builds on the delivery of universal free school meals to all P1 to P5 pupils in Scotland.
Another thing that the SNP Government is delivering is pupil equity funding. That is part of the Scottish attainment challenge, which is a programme to use education to improve outcomes for children and young people who are impacted by poverty. Pupil equity funding, which is worth more than £1.8 million per year to headteachers in East Kilbride alone, gives headteachers the spending power to decide how to best close the poverty-related attainment gap for their pupils.
On top of those investments, the Scottish Government will provide a £186.5 million boost to local authorities to increase teacher numbers, as well as £29 million extra in funding to recruit, train and develop the education workforce to support pupils with additional support needs.
It is estimated that the Scottish Government’s policy package will keep 100,000 children out of poverty this year. The draft budget for 2025-26 sets out new measures, such as the starting of the work to scrap the cruel two-child limit to support the national mission of eradicating child poverty.
Education is crucial to that goal, so I welcome the expansion of free school meals, the continuation of pupil equity funding and the provision of 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare. I know that those policies make a real difference to my constituents and help to ensure that children get the best start in life.
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