Chamber and committees

First, I say to the First Minister that it feels longer—like 30 years, perhaps—that the SNP has been in power. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in the maths classes that I attended as he was setting out his first budgets.

On his substantive point about Tory austerity in those 14 years, I campaigned against that ardently. I did not want the Conservative Government to be elected, and I did not want Russell Findlay’s support of Liz Truss and others over that 14-year period to be brought up here today and lectured about as though it was some kind of triumph.

However, it is clear that work to fix the foundations and make a change has begun and will continue under the Labour Government.

The cabinet secretary spoke again about the hope-filled approach to the budget, as though it is this Government’s first budget. Where has she been for the past 17 years of budgets, which have often decimated sectors in Scotland and have been particularly problematic for our local government? Let me be absolutely clear, because I think that she is being a little disingenuous. [Interruption.]

The cabinet secretary pointed out to me that we have debated this issue many times. We support the Scottish child payment, but we are clear, as everyone has been in this debate, that it cannot be the only lever that we use to challenge poverty in this country.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I take this opportunity to wish you and colleagues across the chamber a happy new year.

I begin, as I always do in such debates, by stating again that tackling child poverty should be a priority across the chamber and in all spheres of government and that we should take an approach to tackling child poverty that has consensus—[Interruption.]

I am being heckled from the Government front bench when I am trying to speak about consensus. It may help if the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture listens to the point, because consensus is important and it is also the spirit in which the First Minister began his speech.

Tackling child poverty is a vital mission, and many of us agree and expect that all children, no matter their background, should have security, stability and opportunity as they are growing up. Many of us in this Parliament aspire to that and want to find a renewed constructive partnership to work towards it. I welcome, as I have done previously, the continued new, constructive relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments and local government on the issue. It is important that we put that on the record and call for it to continue.

We may be at the start of a new year, but this is not a new challenge or a new debate.

I will, in a moment.

I was coming on to speak about the down payments that have been made to tackle those issues at the UK level: the raising of the minimum wage, the introduction of the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation, and the change to the debt repayment levels for people who are on benefits, which will ensure that those who are struggling with debt keep more universal credit payments and is part of the wider work of the UK child poverty task force and the strategy across Government. I hope that all those interventions are supported by the First Minister and the Government. As I have said, I am disappointed that there is no cognisance of them in the Government’s motion.

I give way to Stephen Kerr.

That is helpful. The other areas that I wanted to cover have been touched on, so I will not take up any more time. I hand back to you, convener.

I am going to ask some questions about the adult disability payment. We have already touched on a number of different elements in that space, but I am keen to know whether Professor Roy or others can elaborate on the reasons for increased disability spending across the UK. We have heard about some of the different aspects in relation to support for children, but how well understood is the picture on the increase?

Thank you. That was a helpful answer that sets in context some of the other issues that we are discussing.

An issue that we have touched on previously is the uncertainty surrounding the unique Scottish effect on adult disability spend. You said that you think that we now have better data on that, and data that is demonstrably Scottish. I am keen to understand what patterns you think are emerging from that.

To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement its ministers have had with disabled people’s organisations to discuss any concerns of disabled people. (S6O-04145)

The minister knows that I have raised concerns about the sufficiency of support that is provided to disabled people to meet the challenges that they face across Scotland. I know that the minister is trying to work across portfolios on those issues, but we have to take cognisance of the fact that the delays to the proposed learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence bill and the disabled young people’s transition strategy have been very concerning. Most recently, I have raised the issue of promised health checks for people who have learning disabilities not happening.

Disabled people and DPOs want a renewed focus to deliver on those concerns when we return from recess in the new year. What concrete action can the disabled community expect in 2025 to finally address in full the concerns that I have mentioned, and to tackle the significant challenges that disabled people face, not least the disproportionately high poverty rate?