Sturgeon urged to call for council cash rethink
NICOLA Sturgeon has been asked to urge the council to rethink a funding cut to a single- parent group in Glasgow.
One Parent Families was one of the organisations that did not get support through the new Communities Fund.
Glasgow Labour MSP Pauline McNeill asked the First Minister if in the light of rising child poverty – with higher levels among single- parent families – she backed calls for the decision to be reconsidered.
McNeill said 24% of children in Scotland are growing up in poverty, which is an increase on five years ago.
She said the Scottish Government’s target was to reduce that number by a quarter – to 18% – by March 2024, and called for a bigger effort to meet it.
McNeill said: “In comparison with two- parent families, double the level of single- parent families are in poverty.
“Recently, Glasgow City Council withdrew funding from One Parent Families Scotland, which is the only dedicated single- parent support service.
“The First Minister will know that the Child Poverty Act includes a specific target on single parents. Would she be prepared to remind local authorities such as Glasgow City Council of that fact?
“If we are to have a joinedup anti- poverty policy, such a decision should be reconsidered.”
The First Minister said meeting the child poverty targets is absolutely essential and a priority
Sturgeon said: “The point about single- parent families is important.
“Obviously, it is for local authorities to take their decisions, but I hope and believe that all local authorities share the Scottish Government’s determination to implement the child poverty action plan and to meet the targets that we have discussed.”
One Parent Families has said the main funding it received from Glasgow City Council was £ 41,900 for the core elements of the Glasgow service covering management, admin, general running costs and financial inclusion work.
It also received cash for projectbased initiatives focused on young single mothers worth £ 17,200 and Universal Credit advice of £ 59,995.
The group stated: “We can argue over definitions and language but that doesn’t change the fact if we don’t get the funding, we will not be able to continue all our work with single- parent families in Glasgow. “