Humza Yousaf says he disagrees Nicola Sturgeon failed young people in Scotland, but recognises more needs to be done

The First Minister says he disagrees with comments his predecessor failed young people, but that he recognises the government needs to do more

Humza Yousaf says Nicola Sturgeon did not fail Scotland’s young people, despite admitting child poverty levels are “too high”.

Bruce Adamson, the outgoing Scottish Children's Commissioner, said former first minister Ms Sturgeon "absolutely failed" to deliver for young people and had let families down.

He said the coronavirus pandemic had a serious impact on children and young people, and it disproportionately affected children who were already in poverty.

First Minister Humza Yousaf speaking to staff during his visit to NHS 24's Dundee contact centre. Picture: Euan Cherry/PA Wire

Speaking from the NHS 24 centre in Dundee on Monday, Mr Yousaf said he fundamentally disagrees with Mr Adamson's comments, but added he recognises the Scottish Government needs to go further.

He said: "With all the greatest respect to Bruce Adamson, I don't agree with that remark about the Scottish Government. Nicola Sturgeon introduced the game-changing Scottish child payment – and that's not my words, that's the words of anti-poverty campaigners.

"We have also introduced free bus travel for under-22s and free school meals for P1-P5s."

Mr Yousaf said his predecessor had been "exceptional" as a first minister when it came to tackling child poverty. However, he also conceded child poverty rates in Scotland were "too high" and the Government needed to do more to bring these levels down.

"I want to go further because the levels of poverty are too high,” he said. "That's why tackling child poverty will be the defining mission of this government."

In an interview with the BBC's The Sunday Show, Mr Adamson said there had been failures in some of the Government policies Mr Yousaf highlighted.

He said: "When Government is making decisions around things like funding – around free school meals and mental health counselling in schools – there's some real failures there.

"When we see cuts to things like youth work, early years’ services, that scaffolding around families, it raises some really serious concerns."

Mr Adamson said the new First Minister had made a number of big promises which he has so far not delivered on. The Scottish Government also said it was committed to making Scotland the “best place in the world” for young people.