Committee
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 28 June 2022
28 Jun 2022 · S6 · Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Item of business
Health Inequalities
I am certainly more than happy to ask the Deputy First Minister to bring forward a plan of what is happening over the next year—or perhaps an outline of the type of cross-portfolio working that he does. An area outside of public health in which we see a laser focus on tackling health inequalities is the child poverty plan. That is a national mission for the Government, and was prioritised even in the resource spending review, which was a challenging set of figures for the Government to receive, work through, share with our partners and local authorities and put into the public domain. Within that, you can see that tackling child poverty is still a priority. Our action against child poverty is firmly rooted in evidence, with a robust evaluation strategy. Cumulative impact assessment and wide-ranging analytical materials underpin the approach that was outlined in our second delivery plan for tackling child poverty, “Best Start, Bright Futures”. That plan has a sharp focus on six priority family types, who are at the greatest risk of poverty, including those from a minority ethnic background, those with a disabled household member and those with a lone parent. We are taking that evidence-based and balanced approach to tackling poverty, focusing on increasing household incomes through social security and employment and reducing household costs. Our action will focus on drivers of poverty, balanced with a focus on the next generation, supporting children to thrive and ensuring that we support the wider wellbeing of families. We have talked about the Scottish child payment, which we have already doubled in value. We will further increase it to £25 and extend it to children under 16. In my last portfolio, we had a massive social infrastructure investment in early learning and childcare, for which we doubled the entitlement. That is where we get the biggest bang for our buck, as a Government. 09:30 We all know and cannot deny that the impact of poverty on a child can be lifelong. Tackling child poverty will absolutely deliver benefits in tackling health inequalities. It will be decades before we see those benefits, but it is absolutely the right thing to do. Michael Kellet might want to come in.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Convener
Lab
Agenda item 2 is the final evidence-taking session for our inquiry into health inequalities. I welcome to the committee Maree Todd, the Minister for Public H...
The Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport (Maree Todd)
SNP
Thank you for inviting me to give evidence to the inquiry today. I am aware that, last month, my officials and Public Health Scotland took part in a private ...
The Deputy Convener
Lab
Thank you, minister. We now move to questions on a variety of themes and on the issues that you have raised in your opening remarks. I will start on the prog...
Maree Todd
SNP
Thank you for the question. I will focus on what the Scottish Government can do, but we cannot ignore the fact that, as I have highlighted to the committee b...
The Deputy Convener
Lab
I want to further explore the policies and objectives that relate to addressing health inequalities. Last week, Professor Sir Michael Marmot, who has previou...
Maree Todd
SNP
The Scottish Government welcomes Professor Marmot’s work. We are very interested in his approach and his thoughts on how we tackle these thorny issues, which...
Michael Kellet (Scottish Government)
First, I must apologise profusely to the convener and the committee. I was here on time but I was sitting in reception. Had I not been here giving evidence ...
The Deputy Convener
Lab
It is good to hear that that meeting is taking place today and that progress on that work is being made, because the committee felt very strongly about that ...
Maree Todd
SNP
We have committed to further increasing the payment to £25 by the end of the year, and we are also extending eligibility and making the payment available to ...
The Deputy Convener
Lab
Thank you very much. I will move on to questions from my colleague Emma Harper.
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Good morning, minister, and good morning, Mr Kellet. I am interested in the issue of cross-portfolio working, because, as you have said, the austerity being ...
Maree Todd
SNP
We recognise that a cross-portfolio approach is required. If we did not know that before—which we did—the pandemic absolutely shone a light on those pre-exis...
Emma Harper
SNP
Those challenges are not just urban; they are also rural, and you are a rural MSP, like I am. Is specific work being done to consider housing or other wider ...
Maree Todd
SNP
You are absolutely right to consider those differences. You and I, and every MSP around this table, know very well that you cannot have a one-size-fits-all a...
Emma Harper
SNP
I have a final quick question about the delivery of anti-poverty measures and stopping folk from working in silos. I know that good work is being done in Dum...
Maree Todd
SNP
I have grown to believe that it is a human trait to silo off and protect our own little area. We are recognising the benefits of working together, because we...
The Deputy Convener
Lab
Carol Mochan has a supplementary question.
Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I am interested in that cross-departmental Government working, and I would be interested to know whether you have any examples of having done that well. You ...
Maree Todd
SNP
I am certainly more than happy to ask the Deputy First Minister to bring forward a plan of what is happening over the next year—or perhaps an outline of the ...
Michael Kellet
The child poverty example is a really good one. As a Government official, I felt part of the broader team that pulled together the child poverty strategy. ...
The Deputy Convener
Lab
We move to questions on national strategy, which will be led by my colleague Evelyn Tweed.
Evelyn Tweed (Stirling) (SNP)
SNP
At our meeting on 24 May, I asked Dr David Walsh whether, because we do not have overall powers over social security, taxation or employment in Scotland, it ...
Maree Todd
SNP
It will be no surprise to hear that I do not disagree with David Walsh’s assessment. That is why I was very keen to quickly put on record at the beginning of...
Evelyn Tweed
SNP
Would it make any difference if we had an overall national strategy?
Maree Todd
SNP
I do not think that we can excuse ourselves. I cannot be faced with this need and not take action. I am absolutely clear that the powers to tackle this fully...
Evelyn Tweed
SNP
Do you feel that health inequalities are a top priority for other organisations outwith the health service, such as local authorities, that will need to assi...
Maree Todd
SNP
I think that it is easy to lose the focus on health inequalities, but I genuinely believe that my local authority colleagues are as troubled as I am about th...
Emma Harper
SNP
I have a quick supplementary question on what you have said, minister. We constantly hear about choices that are being made and we constantly talk about cons...
Maree Todd
SNP
You are absolutely right. Those choices are not easy for any Government, and we see issues around health inequality affecting many countries around the world...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
Good morning, minister. What is the gender pay gap in the Scottish NHS?