Chamber and committees

I remind members that I am employed as a bank nurse by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Every death related to drug use is one too many and is utterly devastating for the loved ones who are left behind. Although the facility is not a silver bullet, I am proud of the significant step that has been taken to reduce harms and deaths in one of Scotland’s most impacted cities.

Can the cabinet secretary speak to how the Scottish Government has engaged with those with lived experience and their families to ensure that the facility meets the needs and best supports service users?

The Labour UK Government promised change. It promised to cut each household’s energy bills by £300 a year. Instead, since it came to power, we have seen not one energy price hike but two price hikes and an average fuel bill increase of £470 a year. That is on top of the effects of a cost of living crisis that was caused primarily by Westminster policies. Shamefully, the Labour UK Government removed the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners; it gave no warning of its plans to do so before the election. Will the First Minister outline what steps the Scottish National Party Government is taking to bolster low-income household budgets, over and above helping directly with energy costs by restoring universal support next winter?

To ask the First Minister, in light of recent freezing temperatures, whether he will provide an update on what steps the Scottish Government is taking to support low-income households with their energy bills. (S6F-03687)

I will pick up on what Mr Adam said about leadership in schools and making sure that best practice is shared across the country. My experience in the Lanarkshires is that the promised implementation and utilisation of the whole family wellbeing fund has been evident—I have seen quite a bit of transformation. I would be keen to know from Mr Watson how we are ensuring that those successes are being replicated across the country.

To go back to ELC, birth rates in Scotland are declining, and that is reflected in the number of children—the overall numbers, as opposed to percentages—who are registering with ELC. I am, therefore, interested in hearing how the Government is planning for the reduction in the number of children who will access the 1,140 hours and whether any thought has been given to flexing the budget to expand the offer.

Thank you. That is helpful. I will certainly look out for that report.

My final question is on historical adoption. I am sure the cabinet secretary is well aware of my interest in that area. I could not see in the budget papers—it may be that I have just not seen it—a budget line for that particular issue and the on-going work to support those who are affected by historical adoption practices. Perhaps the cabinet secretary or the minister responsible could write to the committee on that issue and give an update on the work that is being done.

According to the Scottish Parliament information centre paper, it is an increase.

So, this will complete that manifesto commitment.

That is very helpful. My questions are intended to fall under the responsibility of the Minister for Children, Young People and the Promise. There might be specific issues on which the cabinet secretary would want to write to the committee, for clarification. I hope that she is happy for me to pose these questions to her.

I note that the creating positive futures budget includes a 66.7 per cent increase in funding for play park renewals through capital grants. What impact will that have on the manifesto commitment to renew play parks across Scotland?

In his speeches both yesterday and today, the First Minister could not have been clearer: there are too many children in Scotland living in poverty. The continuing effects of Westminster austerity, UK inflation, the pandemic and the economic fallout from Brexit mean that too many families are facing acute challenges.

Since 2010, UK Government welfare reform has been characterised by cuts. Any concept of a UK safety net has been systematically unravelled, and it is threadbare. In South Lanarkshire, where my Rutherglen constituency is situated, the community planning partnership has noted sharp increases in cost of living costs, which have meant that more families sought help from their money advice service last year, more sought food bank referrals, and more faced homelessness.

Experiencing poverty in childhood is not just about families’ immediate financial security; it is about longer-term damage. It brings a loss of human potential and an increase in demand for public services. Taking action to tackle poverty is not a zero-sum game; it is about Scotland’s collective prosperity and wellbeing. The Scottish Government’s budget is unwavering in its resolve to tackle child poverty head on. It drives forward investment in a range of activities to support three key drivers of poverty reduction: increasing income from social security and benefits in kind, increasing income from employment and reducing the cost of living.

To take just one of those measures as an example, the Scottish child payment puts money directly into families’ pockets. Beyond the statistics on how the payment is lifting children out of poverty, we can see that it is making a real difference in people’s day-to-day lives. I urge members to look at the changing realities project and to read Lisa’s story about the real difference that the payment has made for her and her young son, allowing them to live with more dignity and self-respect.

Yesterday, Anas Sarwar got very cagey when he was pressed on his previous ambitions for the Scottish child payment, and he made vague noises about “new directions”. That sounds eerily familiar from Labour: promising change without disclosing that it will be change for the worse. Labour members need to put their money where their mouth is and back a budget, rather than abstaining, to put money directly in families’ pockets and to fund wider services that support them—actions that we agree are only part of the story.

South Lanarkshire Council was previously praised for its work in sharing best practice on reducing the cost of the school day. On a recent visit to St Bride’s primary in Cambuslang, I saw how hard staff were working to ensure that every child was included in every activity in their busy festive calendar, with practical, sensitive support being provided where required. However, the Labour administration of South Lanarkshire Council has made some extremely short-sighted decisions: imposing huge price rises on grass-roots sports, pricing out families and children’s participation; cutting and closing library services, despite being warned about digital exclusion and problems with early literacy; and slashing school bus services, directly hitting families in their pockets. Constituents who have come to see me about those issues are very angry about the direct impact on their pockets, which was not fully explored or understood by the council.

Yesterday, the First Minister called on all parties in the chamber to come together and support the Scottish budget, and to agree to take further steps in eradicating poverty. Decisions taken in council chambers across Scotland, for better or worse, will have a direct impact on families’ pockets and on the trajectory of children’s lives. We should all be putting the case, in all spheres of government, to tackle child poverty.