łÉČËżěĘÖ

Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

Filter your results Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 14 August 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 2015 contributions

|

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you, Peter, for that helpful answer, and I thank Bill Scott for the additional information that he provided.

My final question on this theme is for Claire Telfer. The submission from Save the Children notes that

“Any delay in implementation to the planned increase to the SCP will put meeting the interim targets at risk.”

We can all understand that. Are you worried about that? What should we be doing for the children who are on bridging payments and are not getting the additional money at all?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you for allowing me to come in again, convener.

On district heating, some people might be aware of the experience of residents in Wyndford in Glasgow, where a system was introduced on their doorstep, which was supposed to benefit them by reducing fuel costs in heating their homes. However, that has not happened—in fact, some of the costs are now increasing. It would be interesting to hear from Alison Watson about what we can do to ensure that, where community energy systems are put in place, they definitely begin to reduce fuel poverty for households.

While I am speaking, I have another question for Alison. The message that we should build social houses that are the right size, in the right place, with the right amenities around them seems clear, and it is absolutely the answer. What is preventing us from getting there? Why are we not doing that?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

I am sorry; anybody could probably answer; I do not want to target the question specifically.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

That is really helpful. As ever, people will be unsurprised to hear that I hope that the pace will be quick and that the actions will follow to meet the ideas in the plan.

On the point about addressing the poverty of the priority groups, I note that Close the Gap published a blog post this week in which it says that the plan represents a regression in relation to gendered analysis and women’s poverty. Do the witnesses share that view?

11:00  

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Good morning. Thank you for all the evidence that you submitted in advance of the meeting and for all the work that you have done this year and, indeed, in previous years. It has been—and still is—a really tough time for a lot of the people whom you represent.

I want to start with a question for Bill Scott. In its submission, the Poverty and Inequality Commission says that it is looking for “greater pace and scale” and increased investment. How does the delivery plan compare with those expectations? Does it include the stronger focus on evidence that you had wanted, and does it contain enough on social security to address the cost of living crisis at the moment?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Yes, please. That was all really helpful. I think that there is a real challenge for us in how we gather information and intelligence then use them to react quickly in times of crisis. As you said, we absolutely need to do that.

I have a question for Jack Evans on the actions that are in the plan. How much action does it contain to address poverty in the priority groups?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thank you for that really comprehensive and helpful answer. How much does the effect of income distribution on poverty rates explain some of the projections in the modelling?

I also have another question, which is for Peter Kelly. The Poverty Alliance noted that social security is not yet adequate—members and others will know that I share its impatience for action on that, in particular on the adult disability payment and carers allowance—so could you talk about how we can start to address that and what we need to do now?

My first question was a short supplementary for Bill Scott, and the second one was for Peter Kelly.

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Good morning, panel. Thank you for the evidence that you submitted in advance, and for all the information on the issue that you have shared to date with the committee and others.

I take the point that the plan is not written as a cost of living plan. However, it has been written during a cost of living crisis that is—I hope—the biggest that any of us will ever live through. Although the modelling suggests that we will meet the initial relative poverty target—only just, but we will get there, nonetheless—it does not feel like that for people on the ground. Things do not feel optimistic at all. It does not meet the sniff test, I guess; it is just not quite right. Is the modelling optimistic? Given the circumstances that we hear about from people who live in poverty, and their experience right now, will we still be saying, in a year’s time, the same thing about possibly meeting the targets?

Social Justice and Social Security Committee

Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026

Meeting date: 21 April 2022

Pam Duncan-Glancy

Thanks for those answers. I will move on to the next theme. Some of the submissions say that, even if we reach the targets, we will only just reach the relative poverty target and we will miss—obviously—the absolute poverty target. There are concerns about standards of living and the targets on destitution.

For many people, it does not feel that we are in an optimistic situation with regard to the economy or the cost of living, so does the modelling still hold? In a year’s time, will we still be saying that we will meet the targets? Is there anything that we need to do now to guarantee that we will get there, given that the modelling suggests that we will only just make it?

As has been touched on already, the reductions in poverty do not reflect living standards, so it would be good to hear a little more about what that means for families. In the interests of time, I ask Peter Kelly and Bill Scott to answer those questions. I know that everyone could say something on the issue.