999 services now called on to tackle poverty and inequality

SCOTLAND’S NHS, police force and fire service will be forced to consider how to reduce poverty and inequality before making any major decisions, under new SNP rules.

Ministers will press ahead with proposals giving all public bodies an obligation to put the impact on poverty and equality at the heart of decision-making.

Scotland will be the first part of the UK to introduce a ‘socio-economic duty’ for all public bodies, with the SNP claiming it will show tackling equality is not an ‘optional extra’.

But critics have warned of ‘lumping more responsibilities at the door’ of hard-pressed services such as the NHS and Police Scotland, which are already struggling.

Margaret Watt, former chairman of the Scotland Patients Association, said: ‘The NHS should not be dealing with this, they should be getting on with the job. It is up to the Government to work out how to tackle poverty and where money goes.’

Yesterday, Equalities Secretary Angela Constance renewed her pledge to bring forward the socio-economic duty before the end of the year – meaning public bodies will be forced to follow the new guidance within the next five weeks.

Miss Constance said: ‘We are now the first country in the UK which will ensure all our public bodies consider how our big decisions help tackle poverty.’

Once implemented, all public bodies including councils, the NHS, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be forced to consider what more they can do to reduce poverty.

A consultation was launched earlier this year, with responses published yesterday.

A number of concerns were raised by respondents who fear the rules could become a ‘tick box exercise’ and risk pushing those ‘just above the poverty line’ down in a bid to help others out of poverty.

Scottish Labour’s social security spokesman Mark Griffin, said: ‘It is welcome that Labour’s socio-economic duty is finally becoming a reality.’