Child deprivation levels ‘shocking’
Four in 10 children in Lanarkshire are living in deprivation MSP slams Lanarkshire situation as parents struggle
Damning statistics have revealed that four in 10 children in North Lanarkshire are living in deprivation.
Figures released by the Scottish Government show that 40.7 per cent of youngsters in the region are experiencing material deprivation, with many families unable to afford basic necessities.
A child is classed as living in material deprivation if the family cannot afford three or more items on a list of 22 necessities, such as access to a computer and internet, owning a warm winter coat and having a garden or outdoor space nearby to play safely.
The figure for South Lanarkshire is almost identical, with 40.5 per cent of children suffering from deprivation in the area.
The statistics were slammed by Elaine Smith, with the Central Scotland MSP labelling them “unacceptable”.
Ms Smith said: “It is shocking to know that four in 10 children in Lanarkshire are living in poverty.
“This means that many children are deprived of the essentials that would make for a decent quality of life, and this is unacceptable.
“Not knowing when you will next have a hot meal, or warm clothing and good shoes for the winter, is not something our children should be facing – we must do better than this.
“Parents, many of whom are in work which is low paid and irregular, are worrying from week to week about how to pay the household bills.
“Security of employment would go a long way towards addressing the serious health and social inequalities amongst our children, and 2018 must bring changes which can provide stability at work and a good standard of living for all.
“The Scottish Government has new powers for financial support for those not in work, and the Social Security Bill is currently under discussion in the Scottish Parliament.
“I am supporting the Child Poverty action group, Poverty Alliance and trade unions in their call for a universal £5 a week topup to Child Benefit, which would lift thousands of children out of poverty very quickly.”
Tory Central Scotland MSP Graham Simpson said: “The Scottish Conservatives supported the Child Poverty Bill. We have demonstrated our commitment to social justice with our positive engagement in the Bill’s passage.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s acceptance of our proposal for a statutory commission in this Bill, to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government towards achieving these ambitious targets.
“The amended Child Poverty Bill demonstrates the effective opposition provided by the Scottish Conservatives and the importance and impact of parliamentary scrutiny.
“This Bill, despite these positive changes, will not radically reduce child poverty as intended by the Scottish Government.
“The setting of targets, whilst an important part of the process, does not automatically produce positive outcomes.
“The future trajectory of child poverty in Scotland now depends on the Scottish Government targeting the drivers of poverty, such as the stubborn attainment gap, parental addiction, broken families and worklessness.
“Without addressing these issues, the interim targets as set out by this Bill are unlikely to be met.”
Equalities Secretary Angela Constance said: “Scotland is now the first part of the UK to set ambitious targets to tackle child poverty, showing just how serious we are about reducing and ultimately eradicating child poverty.
“Me e t i n g our ambitious new targets will be challenging and it will seem like we are often fighting with one hand tied behind our back whilst UK Government austerity and welfare cuts continue. “The UK Budget was a missed opportunity to reverse the cuts that are set to push a further one million children into poverty across the UK. “The Child Poverty Bill, passed unanimously by Parliament, also sets out the positive action we are taking to prevent further generations of children growing up in poverty and will be backed by our Tackling Child Poverty Fund worth £50 million. This is in stark contrast to the action being taken by the UK Government. “We want to continue to work with local authorities, health boards and the third sector to ensure that in our modern, thriving country, children have the best possible start in life.”