Action plan under way to tackle child poverty across city

AN ACTION plan to reduce areas of child poverty throughout Glasgow by almost 20% within two years will be launched by the city council.

As it stands, there are 38,000 children living in poverty in Glasgow alone which represents one in every three children in the city.

Glasgow also has a reputation for being a city of contrast, with pockets of significant affluence alongside areas of multiple deprivation. The distribution of child poverty across the city replicates this, varying significantly throughout each community.

The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets to significantly reduce child poverty in Scotland between 2023 and 2030.

Councillor Richard Bell said: “The scale of child poverty is still regrettable significant and Covid-19 has not helped this in any way.

“Our aim is to use this as a baseline along with expert advice to determine what will be our future actions in the child poverty strategy.

“Glasgow is the only place in the UK that does this level of analysis. Work is ongoing to try and understand the full impacts of Covid-19.

“The pandemic has resulted in a renewed focus to address inequalities that persist. This isn’t just a council response, it’s a city response.

“Child poverty has been identified as one of the 12 shared goals to drive social change and tackle inequality.”

The aim is to make sure less than 18% of children live in relative poverty – where a household income is less than 60% of the average UK one, and for less than 14% of children to be in absolute poverty – where an individual’s total income is less than the average income in 2010/11.

The local authority is also aiming for less than 8% of children to be in combined low income and material deprivation – where families cannot afford certain essential items or activities, and for less than 8% of children to be in persistent poverty – where the household has been defined as being in relative poverty in the last current year.

Labour leader councillor Malcolm Cunning said: “The problem is that child poverty does not just impact on a childhood. It changes their chances for the entirety of their life including their lifespan.

“Glasgow City Council cannot challenge this on its own. It’s up to the Scottish and UK governments. It’s about getting money into households. We can help them access money they may be entitled to.

“We as the Labour group welcome the continued work the council continues to do.”

Greens councillor Martha Wardrop added: “I think we have made great strides and I appreciate the work staff have been doing.

“There are a lot of issues which are gender related. I am interested in the priority groups that have been identified, particularly women with children under the age of five, lone parents and women not in employment.

“I think there has to be a connection with housing. There are no housing bodies involved in this project. There are opportunities to look at this in more detail.

“I think we need to look again at helping people access bikes.

“It’s such a low cost way of people getting around the city. What can we do to ensure all the families who need it get a bike to address transport poverty?”

It was agreed that the council group will keep working to address these concerns.

ASEX predator who was convicted of raping two women 12 months apart was yesterday jailed for eight years. At the High Court in Glasgow, Bartosz Czlapski, 25, was told by judge Lord Weir that his conduct was “predatory and disgraceful”.

He added: “You are assessed as at significant risk of re-offending.”

Czlapski raped his first victim at a party at a house in Coatbridge on June 26, 2018.

His victim was initially asleep and under the influence of drugs and unable to give consent.

The second attack occurred in Coatbridge town centre on June 15 last year.

His victim, who had been for a night out with friends, became separated from them.

She was drunk and disorientated when she met Czlapski, a complete stranger.

He was captured on CCTV sexually assaulting her. He then raped her out of camera shot.

Lord Weir told Czlapski:

“She was drunk, lost and disorientated.

“She might have expected help, but she encountered you.”

Czlapski was convicted of the rapes after trial and continues to maintain his innocence.

Defence counsel Rhonda Anderson said: “His offending is related to drug abuse which heightened after he lost his job.

“It is his desire to return to Poland after serving his sentence. He recognises he has to take steps to address his behaviour.”

Czlapski was placed on the Sex Offenders Register.