Collette Stevenson
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Solutions are more effective when they are designed with communities rather than for them, and I want to mention just a couple of the many fantastic local organisations that we have in East Kilbride. Loaves and Fishes was set up more than 30 years ago and initially offered a street meals service.”
“Last year, East Kilbride Citizens Advice Bureau assisted more than 2,500 people in obtaining around £800,000. Healthy and Active East Kilbride is dedicated to enhancing the lives of local people.”
“Before I turn to the substance of the debate, I want to take a moment to say how proud I am to once again represent the wonderful people of East Kilbride in the Scottish Parliament.”
“However, sometimes, there is a lack of innovation, due to the short-term nature of available funding. In the previous session of Parliament, the Social Justice and Social Security Committee engaged widely with the third sector, including on the funding arrangements that such organisations require if they are to carry out their vital roles…”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament recognises and commends the hard- working staff across Scotland’s NHS; thanks them for the significant progress they have delivered, including long waits down 11 months in a row, and welcomes the Scottish Government's commitment to working with all staff across Scotland’s Health and Social Care sector…”
“The most up-to-date version is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report Members and other meeting participants who wish to suggest corrections to their contributions should contact the Official Report.”
The complete record
Every one of 175 lines we hold for Collette Stevenson, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 4.
“Amendment disagreed to. The Presiding Officer: The final question is, that motion S6M-17399, in the name of Gillian Martin, on Scotland’s hydrogen future, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No. The Presiding Officer: There will be a division. The vote is closed. The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey): On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I am sorry, but my app has that Thursday night feeling. I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Mr Dey. We will ensure that that is recorded.”
“Thank you, Presiding Officer. For Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Con) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) Lumsden, Douglas (North East Scotland) (Con) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Rona Mackay] Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) [Proxy vote cast by Jamie Hepburn] McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Abstentions Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on amendment S6M-17399.2, in the name of Patrick Harvie, is: For 6, Against 97, Abstentions 17.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of road accidents involving deer in the central belt, including around the East Kilbride constituency, in the last five years. (S6O-04606)”
“With the Labour UK Government showing no signs of changing course, the need for Scotland to become an independent country is more urgent than ever, so that we have the full powers that are needed to tackle poverty and create a fairer and more equal Scotland. 15:43”
“I do not have time to mention other stakeholders, but it is clear that the Labour Government’s proposed welfare reforms are ill thought out, both in terms of practicality and in terms of being abhorrent. The UK Government should not make those cuts. Keir Starmer, Liz Kendall and Anas Sarwar should listen to disabled people’s organisations and poverty groups and think again. By taking those decisions, the Labour Government has chosen to box itself in with its Tory austerity rules. Instead of reviewing PIP assessments and reintroducing mandatory reassessments, the UK Government should follow the Scottish Government’s lead and treat disabled people with respect.”
“On a practical level, Glasgow Disability Alliance mentions that the UK Government’s green paper fails to set out how disabled people in receipt of the Scottish adult disability payment will qualify for the health element of universal credit. It estimates that Scotland’s budget could be cut by £1 billion per year, and it warns that the DWP might try to claw back money from Social Security Scotland if Scottish disability benefits remain better than those that are on offer south of the border. Marie Curie has called for clarity from the UK Government on whether terminally ill people who claim universal credit will be required to take part in any work-related activity or otherwise be at risk of sanctions.”
“The Westminster Government seems to have glossed over the fact that Scotland, thankfully, has some powers over social security, so there are practical issues relating to how Scottish disability benefits will tie into the UK Government’s universal credit system. As well as that, Scotland’s budget could be reduced if we get yet more Westminster cuts. Glasgow Disability Alliance is completely against the proposals and has said that the “attacks on disabled people are many, are brutal and are multi-faceted”. In an excellent but hard-hitting briefing, it sets out the severe consequences for disabled people’s household finances and states that it will be “extremely difficult for the Scottish Government to fully mitigate these changes”.”
“Which budget would she take money from to pay for such reforms? Collette Stevenson: The heart of the issue is about political choices, with social security being a human right. I will touch on that later. The DWP’s analysis has shown that its welfare reform agenda will push another 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children. The Labour Government has been criticised for its announcement on welfare reform and the lack of detail. It is disappointing that the UK Government failed to engage with the Scottish Government in advance of its announcement, and the results could be disastrous.”
“The JRF has said that that is in large part due to Scotland-specific policies, such as the game-changing Scottish child payment. This year’s Scottish budget gives funding to develop the systems that are necessary to in effect scrap the two-child cap next year. That SNP Government decision will lift a further 15,000 children out of poverty. In contrast, Labour’s decision to keep the two-child cap puts over 100 more children into poverty every single day. Jeremy Balfour: I agree with the cabinet secretary that social security is a social investment, but a social investment has to be paid for. We have a £1 billion deficit coming down the road. If we are to continue with such policies, which budget does Collette Stevenson suggest that money is taken from in order to pay for the social security investment? Is it education or transport?”
“It has also kept strict Tory fiscal rules, which has meant cuts that go further than even the Tories dared—to winter fuel payments and, now, to disability benefits. The Resolution Foundation highlighted that the Labour chancellor was “wrong to concentrate the pain so heavily on a relatively small number of disability benefit claimants.” Its analysis also shows that the poorest 50 per cent of households are set to become £500 a year poorer over the next five years thanks to Labour’s spring statement. Let us look at what is happening under the SNP Scottish Government. According to experts at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Scotland is set to be the only part of the UK to see a decline in child poverty rates in the coming years, and there is a growing gap between child poverty rates in Scotland and those in Labour-run England and Wales.”
“Since the election last year, the Labour UK Government has failed to compensate the WASPI women—women against state pension inequality—and has scrapped winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners, and it is now plotting to cut disability benefits. Labour should listen to poverty groups, disabled people’s organisations and many others and scrap those outrageous cuts. If it ploughs ahead, the Westminster Government will harm the most vulnerable, push more disabled people into poverty and mark the start of a new era of austerity cuts under the Labour Party. Despite offering change in the election just last year, Keir Starmer’s Government has kept some of the worst aspects of Tory welfare reforms—in particular, the two-child cap and rape clause.”
“As I have mentioned in previous answers, we are exceptionally concerned about the decisions of the UK Government, because they will have a direct impact on our budget and will have implications even for some reserved changes, such as to the work capability assessment. We simply do not know at the moment what the implications will be for devolved benefits. It goes back to first principles. We see investment in supporting people, particularly some of the most vulnerable people in our society, as a genuine investment. It is disappointing that the UK Government seems to be viewing social security as the way to make savings to balance its self- imposed fiscal rules.”
“The Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025, which was passed by the Parliament last year, is proof of the commitment to continually improve the Scottish social security system in action. Reserved UK benefits are about to be gutted by a fresh round of Westminster austerity, so does the cabinet secretary agree that the Labour UK Government would do well to study Scotland’s social security principles before it pushes any further with its damaging programme of welfare reforms? The Presiding Officer: Questions must be on matters for which the cabinet secretary has responsibility. Shirley-Anne Somerville: Thank you, Presiding Officer.”
“Alasdair Allan: On the member’s first point, introducing the universal benefit to which she refers will, as I said, provide around 812,000 pensioner households with support each winter from an investment of £101 million, although it is clear that a number of pensioners who are not eligible for pension credit or other low-income benefits also require additional support. On the member’s point about zonal pricing, we recognise that there are trade-offs and complexities in the debate on that subject and are aware that it must be introduced in a way that does not have significant impacts for all market participants. However, as I also said earlier, the current system is not fit for purpose and requires urgent reform.”
“High energy prices remain the single greatest driver of fuel poverty. This year, the SNP Government will reinstate universal winter fuel payments for pensioners to help them with their bills, following the reckless decision by the UK Labour Government to scrap that lifeline policy. Will the minister set out how the reintroduction of universal support for older people will help to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland? Does he agree that the British energy market should have zonal pricing, which the chief executive officer of Octopus Energy said could result in Scotland having the lowest electricity prices in Europe, given our levels of renewable energy production?”
“People who use drugs and their families should feel able to seek out and access advice, support and treatment without fear of judgment or criminalisation.”
“An issue that runs throughout the panel’s report is the stigma and discrimination that are experienced by people who use drugs, as well as by their family members. The report identifies some of the ways in which stigma negatively impacts on the recovery of people who use drugs. They include not being able to access support and advice, not being able to access treatment, not being provided with a consistent standard of service and not being able to gain secure employment. It is clear that stigma and discrimination remain barriers to people accessing the help that they need, and tackling that unacceptable stigma and discrimination is central to bringing about the culture change that the panel recommends.”
“The Scottish Government is also to publish employability support toolkits that will aim to support people with lived and living experience to enter and pursue careers in the substance use sector, including in statutory services. It is essential that the implementation and impact of those measures are evaluated. The panel’s report highlights the high success rate of community hubs and I have seen how impactful such hubs can be. The Beacons community recovery hubs in my constituency of East Kilbride employ peers with lived experience and embed treatment and recovery in the local community. The hubs also run projects for family members who may be impacted by substance or alcohol use. Those vital support services improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of individuals and their families.”
“The panel found that involving people with lived and living experience within the statutory workforce would reduce stigma because service users would feel more comfortable seeking support from people who have had the same experiences and can be seen as role models. Panel members recommended that more people with lived experience should provide on-going support and aftercare in the statutory workforce and that pay and fair working conditions for people with lived experience should be equal to those of equivalent public sector workers in the drug and alcohol field. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to publishing guiding principles for employers that will aim to address stigmatising practice and to allow people recovering from substance misuse to flourish in the workplace.”
“That work has enabled us to take an holistic approach to looking at all the issues related to drug use and drug harm. We tasked the people’s panel with answering the following question: what does Scotland need to do differently to reduce drug-related harms? The panel’s report covers a wide range of issues and I will focus on its recommendations about lived experience and tackling stigma. It is clear from the panel’s report that trusting and consistent relationships are essential to helping people who use drugs access the advice, support and treatment that they need. The panel heard that having services delivered by employees with lived and living experience led to consistently better outcomes.”
“I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on the people’s panel report on reducing drug harm and drug deaths in Scotland. I begin by placing on record the committee’s thanks to the people’s panel members for undertaking that challenging and complex task and for their considered report. I also thank the members of the stewarding board for the invaluable support that they provided to the panel. Members of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee have worked jointly for more than three years with members of the Criminal Justice Committee and the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to look at how to tackle drug deaths and drug harm. I also place on record our huge thanks to the clerking teams for all their on-going support.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its national strategy for community justice, including the delivery of the sustainable housing on release for everyone standards across all local authorities. (S6O-04354)”
“Labour’s obsession with PPP and PFI is reckless. It has not been in government in Scotland for 18 years, but the deals have had, and will continue to have, a huge impact on public services. Councils, health boards and other public bodies are, on average, paying back more than three times the original capital cost to private companies as part of these long-term deals. In East Kilbride, the Hairmyres hospital deal has offered a tenfold return to investors. That is a shameful legacy of the last Scottish Labour Government— The Deputy Presiding Officer: Ms Stevenson, you will need to conclude. Collette Stevenson: —which was rightly kicked out of office 18 years ago. 13:22”
“This year, the charges for some schools mean that almost 32.7 per cent of council tax receipts will go towards PPP payments. Over the 33-year contract, the council will pay back an estimated £1.25 billion. On its website, this Labour-run council boasts that it “is among the biggest UK-wide education public-private partnerships.” Perhaps it should be straight with the public when talking about local government financing, because dodgy Labour decisions of the past are an on- going drain on public finances. It gets worse. Despite warnings at the time that capacity would be an issue, the merging of six of East Kilbride’s high schools into three superschools as part of a costly initiative is now having to be rectified, with more money having to be spent on expanding St Andrew’s and St Bride’s high school.”
“Shockingly, the deal is a 31-year contract, and it is estimated that, overall, repayments for Hairmyres will total around £700 million, which is more than 10 times the original capital cost—and an absolute disgrace. It is not just the NHS that is saddled with large payments. South Lanarkshire Council is paying around £43 million this year. Graham Simpson: Will the member take an intervention? Collette Stevenson: Yes, I am happy to. Graham Simpson: Does the member agree that we need much greater clarity on what will happen when the deals expire, including those for the large number of health service facilities? Collette Stevenson: I whole-heartedly agree that we need more information on what happens when the contracts expire, particularly given the scale of money that we are talking about.”
“As Mr Gibson has pointed out, Scotland’s public services will repay a shocking £1.25 billion in PFI and PPP charges in 2025-26. Over the years, the private companies that benefit from those deals have distributed hundreds of millions of pounds from their huge profits in dividends to investors. In other words, cash is being diverted from front-line health, education, transport and justice services into investors’ pockets. I will focus on East Kilbride, where Hairmyres hospital was rebuilt more than 20 years ago with a capital value of £68 million. This year alone, NHS Lanarkshire will pay around £27 million in PFI charges for the hospital, enough money to pay the salaries of around 850 new nurses.”
“I am grateful to Kenneth Gibson for bringing this debate to the chamber. PPP and PFI are long-term contracts under which public sector organisations pay annual charges to private companies for capital projects such as schools and hospitals. The Conservatives might have introduced the schemes, but previous Labour Governments enthusiastically rolled them out. Given that the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution, it is right that we look at the drain of having to repay dodgy PFI deals. Labour has not been in government in Scotland for 18 years, yet, since it left office, Scotland’s public services have been saddled with well over £14 billion in repayment charges.”
“That poor Labour decision is likely to increase social rents and divert money from front-line health services. It is a tax on jobs that is an additional barrier to our social care sector. The SNP Government stands with local authorities, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and civic society in calling on the Labour chancellor to fully recover the increased costs for the public sector and the third sector. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Ms Stevenson, you will need to conclude, as you are over your time. Collette Stevenson: The UK Government must do the right thing to protect essential services. 16:55”
“Before becoming a member of Parliament, I worked for a couple of charities and I know about the pressures of paying staff and dealing with funding, so I am sure that charities would rather not have to deal with this development. The UK Government must ensure that the essential sector is also fully compensated, so that organisations are not faced with difficult choices to balance the books. The UK Labour Government’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions has been widely condemned. The public sector, the third sector and businesses are united against the move, which will impact vital services across the country. Organisations that provide public services in Scotland are due to pay a net £400 million to Westminster’s coffers simply as a result of the increase in employer national insurance contributions.”
“The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has said that Labour’s proposals will have a difficult impact on housing associations and co-operatives and, ultimately, on their tenants and/or staff. That could lead to rent rises, which means that Labour’s increase in national insurance will put more pressure on household incomes amid a cost of living crisis. In recent months, the Social Justice and Social Security Committee has been looking into third sector finances. In evidence, we heard that the third sector is the essential sector, which delivers crucial support to thousands of people across Scotland. Right now, the third sector is looking for more financial clarity, including multiyear funding models, but, instead, the sector is now faced with increasing costs, thanks to the UK Labour Government’s decisions.”
“Labour is trying to spin the move by saying that it will compensate the public sector for the national insurance changes, but the sums do not add up. The estimated cost of the NI hikes to Scotland’s public services is more than £700 million, yet the UK Government is reportedly offering only around £300 million in compensation, which leaves a gaping hole in the budget. The costs include a £265 million charge for local councils and a charge of almost £200 million for our NHS, which is money that those bodies will have to pay to Westminster rather than spend on front-line services. Social housing will also be affected by the national insurance changes, which it is estimated could cost registered social landlords around £15 million.”
“The people were promised change if they elected a UK Labour Government. However, there has been no change for the better. Keir Starmer’s Government has kept the Tories’ cruel two-child cap, which is pushing more and more children into poverty every single day. It has scrapped winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners, and it has failed to compensate the women against state pension inequality—WASPI—women. The UK Government has also decided to hike employer national insurance contributions, which is a move that will hammer vital public services. Today, I will talk about the last of those failures. I am clear that the Labour UK Government must fully reimburse any negative impact on public services in Scotland that is caused by an increase in employer national insurance contributions.”
“For the sake of reassurance, will the cabinet secretary confirm that, although councils were responsible for opt-out procedures, participants in the survey are not identifiable? Jenny Gilruth: I have been assured by officials that robust ethics and privacy controls are in place to prevent any young person from being identifiable from any results of the statistical and research work. The health and wellbeing census data, which is held by the Scottish Government, is anonymised, and I have been assured that we do not have access to information that would enable the direct identification of any pupil. The Scottish Government also ensures that any results produced from analysing the data do not enable an individual child to be identified. I hope that that provides the member with the reassurance that she has sought today.”
“It is estimated that the Scottish Government’s policy package will keep 100,000 children out of poverty this year. The draft budget for 2025-26 sets out new measures, such as the starting of the work to scrap the cruel two-child limit to support the national mission of eradicating child poverty. Education is crucial to that goal, so I welcome the expansion of free school meals, the continuation of pupil equity funding and the provision of 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare. I know that those policies make a real difference to my constituents and help to ensure that children get the best start in life. 16:17”
“That builds on the delivery of universal free school meals to all P1 to P5 pupils in Scotland. Another thing that the SNP Government is delivering is pupil equity funding. That is part of the Scottish attainment challenge, which is a programme to use education to improve outcomes for children and young people who are impacted by poverty. Pupil equity funding, which is worth more than £1.8 million per year to headteachers in East Kilbride alone, gives headteachers the spending power to decide how to best close the poverty-related attainment gap for their pupils. On top of those investments, the Scottish Government will provide a £186.5 million boost to local authorities to increase teacher numbers, as well as £29 million extra in funding to recruit, train and develop the education workforce to support pupils with additional support needs.”
“Under the SNP Government, Scotland is the only part of the UK to have delivered 1,140 hours of universally funded early learning and childcare for three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year- olds. That childcare provision saves families an average of £5,500 per child per year, but— crucially—it helps with children’s development and supports parents to stay in or take up work or learning. In its draft budget, the Scottish Government proposes to provide approximately £1 billion of investment to continue the provision of 1,140 hours of ELC next year. For children in school, it proposes to provide money for best start breakfasts and the expansion of breakfast clubs across Scotland, as well as £37 million to expand free school meal provision to P6s and P7s who are in receipt of the Scottish child payment.”
“Thanks to the work of the Scottish Government, Scotland is set to be the only part of the UK to see a decline in child poverty rates in the coming years, with a growing gap between child poverty rates in Scotland and in Labour-run England and Wales. The draft Scottish budget for next year will develop the systems necessary to, in effect, scrap the two-child cap in 2026. That decision by the SNP Government will lift a further 15,000 children out of poverty. As someone who has first-hand experience of childhood poverty, I can tell members that the impact that that will have on the lives of those children cannot be overestimated. It is about not only full bellies and warm homes but providing equal opportunity and an environment in which to thrive and succeed. Education has a dominant role to play in all of that.”
“We know that children and young people do not exist in isolation. They are directly and indirectly affected by their parents or carers and by economic stability or instability. Children from wealthier families often perform better in various aspects of life, including education, sport and overall wellbeing. That playing field must be levelled. I want to see a more equal and fair society and, for that to happen, we must support families to break cycles of poverty. The SNP Scottish Government recognises that, and I am delighted that its commitment to eradicating child poverty is being matched with bold action.”
“The committee hopes that it will continue to ensure that we have a sustainable third sector, which is essential for the wellbeing of our communities. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Colin Beattie to speak on behalf of the Scottish Commission for Public Audit. 16:19”
“Timeliness in funding decisions and payments is vital. Delays can have severe consequences for organisations—especially those that operate with tight margins. Our report underlined that the Scottish Government must prioritise resolving delays in funding notifications to support the sector’s stability. The cabinet secretary’s written response advised that budget difficulties had led to only 58 per cent of awards being notified on time. That figure provides a baseline on grant performance for the first time. Funding principles need to be more than aspirations—they need to produce concrete results. It is imperative that statutory funders support third sector organisations through fair, efficient and sustainable funding practices. The Scottish Government is making some progress.”
“Although the Government has not addressed that point directly, the cabinet secretary has said that the Government will “review grant spending”, which will include “developing effective reporting mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of spend, identifying the wider social benefits of grants and providing commercial scrutiny of costs to ensure clarity on where we are spending money.” Voluntary organisations mentioned the administrative burden of completing funding applications and reporting. The Scottish Government’s response states that guidance will be developed and “areas of poor practice” will be identified to inform further improvements. We are pleased to note that it says it will also look at developments in technology to “improve the transparency of Scottish Government grant giving and to standardise the application process”.”
“The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice said in her response that the Government remains “committed to increasing the number of multi-year funding agreements by 2026 and are focused on deliverability and scalability given that the Scottish Government continues to face the most challenging financial situation since devolution.” She said that lessons would be learned “from existing funding arrangements” and that good practice would be embedded in the Government’s grant making. Following the publication of the budget, the cabinet secretary advised that the Government would have a pilot programme focusing on organisations that provide essential services or which deliver on reducing child poverty. We welcome that news. The committee called for more flexible unrestricted core funding.”
“We acknowledge the challenges of multiyear funding, particularly related to the Scottish Government’s ability to set longer-term funding priorities in conjunction with spending decisions that are made at UK level. Poorly managed multiyear funding can create dependency and limit new entrants, thereby disrupting the third sector ecosystem. Implementation of staggered multiyear funding would avoid new entrants being locked out of bidding rounds for long periods of time. Where awards roll on, building in anticipated increased costs over the multiyear period would help to address the power imbalance that deters organisations from requesting additional funds in those circumstances.”
“Their evidence was unequivocal: more needs to be done to support this vital sector. Most grants are awarded by statutory funders including the Scottish Government and local authorities. Many of the structural issues that exist could be addressed through robust funding principles, which would create efficiency savings for organisations and free up more money for delivery. One of the most pressing principles that we scrutinised was multiyear funding. Voluntary Action Shetland told us that such funding is “paramount in offering sustainability and continuity of service.”—[Official Report, Social Security and Social Justice Committee, 12 September 2024; c 2.] We recommend increasing the number of multiyear grants and, ideally, providing funding for a minimum of three years.”
“According to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, 88 per cent of organisations have reported taking actions to mitigate financial challenges since December 2023, with 60 per cent of those using their reserves, which they believe is unsustainable. Many of those organisations deliver services that would otherwise be delivered by the public sector or which contribute to prevention activities that result in savings to the public purse. When we spoke with representatives from more than 30 local and national organisations, we heard the sector being described as the “essential sector”. We thank those who participated in the inquiry. More than 200 submissions were received, and the responses ensured that the voices of those who are directly impacted by funding decisions were heard.”
“I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee in today’s debate on the Scottish budget. We focused our pre-budget scrutiny on the topic of third sector funding principles. The third sector has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic increased demand for services, as has the cost of living crisis, with more households seeking help, while inflation has driven up voluntary organisations’ operational costs. With the recent UK Government announcement of increased employer national insurance contributions, the impact on the sector is yet to be understood.”
“To ask the First Minister, in light of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, “UK Poverty 2025”, whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s actions to tackle poverty in Scotland, including in relation to any potential impact of planned United Kingdom Government welfare reforms. (S6F-03773)”
“Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, claimed that the Scottish National Party Government had not yet asked for Department for Work and Pensions data to end the two-child cap. However, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to the DWP and the Secretary of State for Scotland on the issue last month. Can the First Minister offer the Secretary of State for Scotland any advice on how to keep up with his inbox and support tackling child poverty in Scotland? The Presiding Officer: The First Minister should address matters for which he has general responsibility.”
“The UK Government must U-turn and give women who are affected by state pension inequality the compensation that they deserve. 18:41”
“I sincerely hope that it gets many more. There is clearly public outrage at the UK Government, following its decision not to compensate the WASPI women. What makes it even worse is that Labour MPs had, before they were in power, stood shoulder to shoulder with WASPI women, saying that they supported the campaign and that the women deserved compensation. WASPI chair Angela Madden has said, quite rightly, that that inaction questions the integrity of Labour politicians. She is right to point out that “The Parliamentary Ombudsman is there to hold the Government to account. Labour’s decision to ignore it rides roughshod over our constitutional checks and balances.” I agree with the WASPI women that the Labour Government is wrong to ignore the ombudsman’s recommendations. That is a shameful betrayal of pensioners.”