Child poverty

Like Labour MSP Elaine Smith, I believe it is “shameful that since 2009 we’ve known that between 210,000 and 220,000 children in Scotland have been classed as living in absolute poverty and that the SNP Holyrood Government has failed to do anything about it in a decade” (The Scotsman, 28 March).

It cannot be denied that callous Tory welfare cuts are responsible, to a large extent, for the misery of poverty being experienced by so many children. However, by passing on these cuts to local authorities, the major providers of services for needy children, the Scottish Government, have merely increased hardship.

Universal provision of free prescriptions and free university tuition hardly give poor children the targeted help they and their parents require. At the same time, one wonders if the excessive use of public money to run Prestwick Airport, to fund community buyouts and to promote the Gaelic language are really priorities when so many Scottish children are going hungry? While it is laudable for the SNP Government to increase funding to help children in Malawi, should such charity not begin at home?

Having recently acquired new social security powers, Nicola Sturgeon and her government ministers cannot continue to shirk responsibility and continue to blame the Westminster government for the scourge of child poverty, which is “poised to soar in Scotland with an extra 130,000 youngsters set to be affected by 2031” (The Scotsman, 30 March).

Admittedly, last week Communities Secretary Angela Constance announced a plan to introduce new welfare payments to tackle child poverty targeting “financial support at those families who need it most”. As this plan is for 201822, poor children today will not get any immediate help! SALLY GORDON-WALKER

Caiystane Drive, Edinburgh