Chamber and committees

Good morning. The committee is looking for the panel members’ thoughts on the financial and resource estimates in the financial memorandum. Tressa Burke, as you touched on the issue earlier, and I got the feeling that you had much more to say but that you felt that your time was constrained, and because it was your organisation that raised concerns that the funding that is required for the disability commissioner could be diverted away from other public policies that are aimed at disabled people, I will give you the opportunity to come in on that issue first.

Good morning, panel members. You will know from sitting in during the previous evidence session that we are looking to hear your thoughts about the financial and resource estimates that are attached to the financial memorandum. I got a sense from the earlier session that the figure of £1 million is a huge underestimate; I pop that out there for your thoughts. Perhaps Eddie McConnell can start.

Thank you for your comments.

I am pleased to speak in the debate. I welcome the First Minister’s commitment to eradicating child poverty. In my remarks I will concentrate on how social security can have an impact on such poverty. I will also share some of the evidence that the Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee has received on the impact of the Scottish child payment.

Child poverty is a stark reality for many children and families. The compassion that we have for the welfare of our children is something that should define our country.

It is clear that the Scottish Government’s actions are already making a difference. Modelling that was published in February estimates that the SNP Scottish Government’s policies will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year. Almost £430 million has been put in the pockets of families through the Scottish child payment, which is supporting more than 329,000 children. That is a significant intervention that is making a real difference to the lives of many people across Scotland. As a member of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, I have heard from many witnesses about the impact of the Scottish child payment. For example, in evidence, Professor Danny Dorling of the University of Oxford said:

“I started looking at the statistics in the late 1980s, when Scotland had some of the worst rates of child poverty in the UK. Now, according to the simple poverty line proportion, every region in England is worse than Scotland.”—[Official Report, Social Justice and Social Security Committee, 23 May 2024; c 17.]

Unfortunately, however, we also heard that the full potential of the payment is being held back by the UK welfare cuts. Ruth Boyle of the Poverty Alliance was clear about that. She told the committee that

“right now, the UK system is actually pulling people into poverty. We know that 90 per cent of people who are in receipt of universal credit are going without essentials”.—[Official Report, Social Justice and Social Security Committee, 30 May 2024; c 10.]

We received damaging evidence about the two-child policy and the abhorrent rape clause, and how it is directly affecting children. Professor Ruth Patrick of the University of York advised us that,

“it is common to hear parents talking about trying to protect their children from the impact of poverty. They will say, ‘I’ll skip a meal because I don’t want my children to go without,’ but what we find with the impact of the two-child limit is that parents are reporting that their children are trying to protect them from the impact of the poverty. They report examples where children are not telling their parents that they need a new pair of school shoes because they know that the money is not there. We have evidence of people being in supermarkets with children telling their siblings, ‘Don’t ask mummy for that, she doesn’t have the money.’”—[Official Report, Social Justice and Social Security Committee, 23 May 2024; c 19-20.]

If we are to have an honest debate about child poverty, we must consider the harm that is being done to children by those policies. The human impact of Westminster policy is appalling and considerable.

The Child Poverty Action Group recently highlighted a case from its early warning system, of a working couple with three children who had had their universal credit

“reduced by the 2 child limit and a deduction for rent arrears.”

The family was not able

“to get a cake or any presents”

for

“their youngest child’s birthday”,

and the family

“hoped the child would be too young to remember.”

That is heartbreaking, but those are real cases. That callous approach, which erodes dignity and denies children a basic level of subsistence and enshrines misery, must end.

It is not just the two-child policy that is holding back progress; other policies including the bedroom tax and the benefit cap are, too. In 2022-23, Scotland spent £84.9 million on 135,625 discretionary housing payment awards to help to mitigate the effects of those policies and others. Although we must do everything that we can with the powers that we have, it is disingenuous in the extreme not to bring to the table in this debate the dreadful impact of a Westminster system that is lacking in compassion and support.

The UK Government now spends £50 billion a year less on social security than it would have spent if cuts, freezes and other charges since 2010 had not happened. CPAG is clear that,

“These cuts have pushed hundreds of thousands of children and families into poverty.”

Whichever party forms the next Westminster Government must, therefore, step up and scrap the two-child policy instead of saying that it can make that policy and the abhorrent rape clause, fairer. The approach of saying, “Trust us—we did good things before” just does not cut it now.

I will get on to that.

As Professor Danny Dorling of Oxford University pointed out,

“the economic inequality between families did not alter one iota in the years from 1997 to 2010.”—[Official Report, Social Justice and Social Security Committee, 23 May 2024; c 8.]

A reference to the so-called new deal for working people is pretty ineffective when the BBC reports that the trade union Unite has failed to endorse Labour’s manifesto. Unite has said that it does not go far enough in protecting workers’ rights.

I am about to conclude.

Every child should be able to thrive and reach their full potential. It is clear to me and many others that if Westminster is not willing to play its part in eradicating child poverty, real change will come only when Scotland is independent.

Thanks for that.

The questions that I was going to ask have been covered in the opening statement, so I will hand back to the convener.

Why has the commitment to deliver “face-to-face services” changed to a commitment to delivery “in person if necessary”? Is that just because the reality—the experience—is that not everyone needs that? Will all clients be given the choice to have local support provided in person?

I congratulate my colleague Kevin Stewart on securing this incredibly important debate. Volunteers are the backbone of our communities, and this week gives us the chance to recognise, celebrate and thank our incredible volunteers for all that they contribute to our local communities.

This year is extra special, given that it is the 40th anniversary of volunteers week. Today, we celebrate that milestone and pay gratitude to the volunteers in our constituencies. I have had the privilege of meeting many volunteers in my constituency over my three years as an MSP, and over a number of years as a councillor before that, so I know just how hard they work. I remind members of my entry in the register of members’ interests, which states that I am a former councillor.

As I have so many outstanding volunteers in my constituency, a four-minute speech does not, unfortunately, provide enough time to name them all. However, I will have a go, and I will name just a few of them. My sincere thanks go to the volunteers of Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels, Milngavie in Bloom, the Dalmuir Barclay church community pantry, Improving Lives, Faifley food share, Bearsden in Bloom, Golden Friendships, Clydebank men’s shed, Clydebank Asbestos Group, Milngavie and Bearsden men’s shed, Isaro Community Initiative, Clydebank group holidays, West Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau, the Recycle Room, Milngavie Old People’s Welfare Committee, Clyde Shopmobility, the flourishing Faifley group, Stepping Stones and so many more.

I would also like to thank some volunteers who have sadly passed in my community, who gave everything to their cause. Bob Dickie and Hope Robertson of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, you will forever be remembered as stalwarts of the campaign for truth and justice for asbestos victims and as dedicated volunteers.

The contribution that volunteers make is often unseen, but it never goes unnoticed by me. I know how hard they all work, and we can see the level of dedication, commitment and passion that they bring to our towns. The work that volunteers in my constituency do has never been more vital, so it is time that we celebrate them for all that they do.

Volunteering not only is beneficial for our communities but has been shown to improve wellbeing, and it can help people to gain valuable skills and experience and to boost their confidence and even their job prospects.

In my Clydebank and Milngavie constituency, there has always been a community spirit of looking out for one another. The volunteers in the area harness that spirit. They truly come from all walks of life, and they have different goals, such as providing food parcels to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry, helping those with disabilities to access services and mobility scooters, litter picking and protecting our environment, and providing practical and emotional support and spaces to tackle social isolation. However, they all share one thing in common: they aim to make a positive difference to the lives of others.

Volunteering also has a ripple effect beyond the services that volunteers provide. Those acts of kindness and service inspire others to give back and help to foster the community spirit that keeps our towns going. I know of many individuals who have chosen to give back to the community after experiencing support and kindness from local volunteers. Even if that is just for a couple of hours a week or month, it can make such a difference. I know that many groups in my constituency are always looking for more help. Please reach out to them if that interests you. Every contribution matters, no matter how small.

To conclude, I say to the volunteers in Clydebank and Milngavie and Bearsden North, past and present, that I am forever grateful to them for what they have done for our constituents. Their selflessness, dedication and passion for helping others and improving our communities are truly awe inspiring. They have touched countless lives, and their communities are a better place for their being in them. I thank them so much.