Poverty bill becomes statute

Two leading charities have praised the move by MSPs to make a Scottish poverty and inequality commission a reality.

It follows stage three of the child poverty bill's progression in which the commission’s creation becomes legislation.

Poverty Alliance and Barnardo’s Scotland have been campaigning around this issue throughout 2017, highlighting the need for a statutory organisation to take on some of the functions previously fulfilled by the Child Poverty and Social Mobility Commission at UK level.

They said the creation of the commission will help guarantee independent scrutiny and ensure the commission is able to speak freely and be critical of government where necessary.

Independence also means that the commission has the potential to be a “real driver for social change.”

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “The establishment of the Poverty and Inequality Commission in statute is a significant step forward in the fight against poverty in Scotland.

“This comes at a time when more than one million people are living in poverty in Scotland. It is clear that we need radical solutions to poverty more than ever, and the Poverty and Inequality Commission can lead the way in identifying these solutions.

Martin Crewe, director of Barnardo's Scotland, added that the move was welcome as poverty is the most significant factor in the lives of many of the children and families his charity worked with.

"With recent reports suggesting that child poverty across the UK is set to increase, it is vital that Scotland's efforts to reduce child poverty are independently monitored and evaluated,” he said.