Politicians squabble over child poverty failure

Published on Monday 28 December 2009 21:35

A PROMISE to cut child poverty by half in Scotland will be missed next year, the new children's commissioner has warned.

When Labour took power in 1997, it promised to halve child poverty in Britain by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020. The SNP government backed the target for Scotland when it came to power at Holyrood in 2007.

But Scotland's children's commissioner Tam Baillie, who took office this year, has warned that the first milestone will be missed north of the Border.

He has blamed both the UK and Scottish governments for failing to put in the correct measures to meet the target.

And he pointed out that 75,000 children from the 240,000 currently living in poverty need to be taken off the list next year if the target is to be met.

He claimed progress made in earlier years had stalled, and the 2010 target would not be achieved. And he warned this could also make it "increasingly difficult" to meet the longer-term goal of ending child poverty in 2020.

Mr Baillie said: "We're about to enter into 2010 with the prospect of not making the halving of child poverty; that's going to make life very difficult for those children.

"If it was high enough up the agenda then we could have allocated the money to make the target before now, and really for me the key is how high is the eradication of child poverty on the government's agenda."

As well as calling on the UK government to put more money into Child Tax Credit benefits to help families, the commissioner said more agreements between councils and the Scottish Government should mention the issue.

His conclusions have been backed by major children's charities which fears that the target will be missed across the UK.

Barnardo's chief executive Martin Narey said: "The UK government has lifted half a million children out of poverty, but we are disappointed that the pre-budget report has not gone far enough."

However, the commissioner has sparked a row in Scotland over whether the country is being held back from tackling child poverty by Westminster.

John Mason, the SNP MP for Glasgow East, where more than 70 per cent of children live in poverty, said the commissioner's warning must be a "wake-up call for ministers in London".

He added: "After 12 years in government, it is shameful that Labour have failed to close the gap between rich and poor created during the Thatcher years."

But opponents said that much of the blame lay with the Scottish Government. Questions have been asked over why resources have been spent on extending benefits to middle-class parents, such as 40 million on free school meals for all P1 to P3 children.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have taken action to help families and communities by freezing council tax, reducing prescription charges, extending free school meals and investing 435 million through the Fairer Scotland Fund to increase employment and regenerate disadvantaged areas."

IN NUMBERS

4 million

Children in UK live in poverty, estimates Barnardo's.

240,000

Scottish children in poverty.

75,000

Children need to be removed from poverty trap to meet 2010 target in Scotland.

0

Children in poverty in UK if 2020 target reached.

3bn

Needed to be spent on tax credits to help reach 2010 target in Scotland.

435m

In Fairer Scotland Fund, set up by Scottish Government to tackle poverty.

40m

Spent by SNP in government extending free school meals to P1 to P3 children of middle-class parents.

73%

Of children living in poverty in Glasgow North East, Scotland's poorest constituency. Figure is 11th worst in the UK.

12

Constituencies – out of 59 in Scotland – where 50 per cent or more children live in poverty.

6

Constituencies in Glasgow where 50 per cent or more children live in poverty.