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.”
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“However, the Labour Government has refused to set up such a scheme, saying that it would be neither “fair nor feasible and would not represent good value for taxpayers.” As background, it is important to remember that the increase in state pension aid for women was brought in by the Tories in the 1990s, and that Labour’s maladministration in the noughties caused more injustice. Despite its admission that a previous Labour Government’s delays impacted women, the fact that the UK Government is not giving compensation to WASPI women is an utterly shameful betrayal. In addition to the ombudsman’s findings, a poll this week found that three quarters of people think that WASPI women should be “fairly compensated”, and a UK Parliament petition on introducing a compensation scheme for WASPI women has reached over 150,000 public signatures.”
“However, as he did with many policies, Sir Keir changed his tune once he got into Downing Street. The ombudsman determined that “DWP decision-making between 2005 and 2007 led to a 28-month delay in starting to send letters to 1950s-born women about State Pension age changes and that; These delays were maladministration and ... led to injustice”. Following an evidence session, the chair of the UK Parliament Work and Pensions Committee recommended that the UK Government set up a financial compensation scheme with payments adjusted to reflect the personal impact of pension changes.”
“I am grateful to Kenneth Gibson for securing this important debate and for calling on the Labour Government to compensate the WASPI women. I pay tribute to everyone involved in WASPI. They have been a formidable campaign force, and it looked as though they would be successful in getting a financial remedy for the affected women. Because of UK Government wrongdoing, millions of women across the UK have lost out on their pensions. Figures from the Scottish Parliament information centre reveal that more than 21,000 women in South Lanarkshire could be affected. The debate comes after the PHSO determined that the UK Government’s actions caused injustice and recommended compensation for the women who were affected. “I support fair and fast compensation for 1950s women.” That was the pledge that Keir Starmer signed when he was in Opposition.”
“Budget 2025-26 (Support for Rural Communities) 6.”
“Will the cabinet secretary outline the real-terms change in the budget that will be available to councils for day-to-day spending across Scotland in 2025-26, and will she confirm whether South Lanarkshire Council will have more cash to spend on the local priorities that it has identified, based on the Scottish Government’s draft budget? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I ask the cabinet secretary to be as brief as possible. Shona Robison: As I said earlier, if the budget is supported, the local government settlement will increase by more than £1 billion—a real-terms increase of 4.7 per cent compared with 2024-25. For South Lanarkshire Council, that would deliver an increase of £63.2 million to support vital day-to- day services, which is an additional 8.5 per cent compared with the 2024-25 budget.”
“I will respond to her in writing—as I will respond to Emma Roddick, too—about the totality of the provision both in her constituency and throughout Scotland in order to reassure her about the difference that we have made, once again, this winter. The Presiding Officer: That concludes the ministerial statement. Support for the Culture Sector”
“Shirley-Anne Somerville: It is fitting that we have a question about East Kilbride from Collette Stevenson on that matter, because I remember clearly that, as we debated what the new benefit would look like when it was devolved, her predecessor, Linda Fabiani, was one of the most vociferous campaigners to ensure that we got rid of the injustice of the previous arbitrary system, because it did not reflect what was happening in her local area. I am very pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to deliver that certainty for Collette Stevenson’s constituents and the constituents of members across the chamber.”
“Under the previous UK cold weather payment, payments for residents of East Kilbride were conditional on the weather as it was recorded at Bishopton. Given the different winter climates in those areas, that approach disadvantaged people in East Kilbride, who often got no payout even when it was below freezing in the town. Can the cabinet secretary outline how many more people across the country are benefiting from the Scottish Government’s winter heating payment, and can she assure households in East Kilbride that the injustice of the old Westminster scheme is now a thing of the past?”
“It is essential that it is recognised that the national outcomes will not be achieved unless poverty can be reduced. The Scottish Government must act to ensure that poverty reduction informs all areas of policy and budgetary planning, and that the needs of younger people living alone, disabled people and older people are captured alongside priority groups. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Ariane Burgess to speak on behalf of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. 15:37”
“We were struck by evidence that was provided to the committee by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, which said: “Poverty represents a failure (a violation) to fulfil the right to an adequate standard of living as is established in international human rights law… Poverty, viewed through this lens, is thus best viewed as a cluster of human rights violations in Scotland.” As well as detailing the cross-cutting nature of the national outcomes, our letter to the cabinet secretary stated that, if poverty is to be reduced, it is crucial that the outcomes influence decision making when it comes to the Scottish budget and programme for government. Scottish Women’s Aid has previously said that, given that the outcomes should demonstrate societal values, the budget should look at how it spends on those.”
“They emphasised that insecure funding can mean insecure service delivery, which affects vulnerable people within communities, as well as eroding trust and cohesion. Achieving equalities and human rights as an outcome also requires poverty to be reduced.”
“The committee was also recently involved in part 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, on homelessness prevention. As part of that, we heard from Crisis, which said: “homelessness is one of the most acute forms of poverty”—[Official Report, Social Justice and Social Security Committee, 13 June 2024; c 6.] In order to end homelessness and achieve housing as an outcome, it is therefore clear that poverty must be addressed. We also consider that the work of the third sector is essential to the fulfilment of the national outcomes, especially the outcome on communities. As part of the committee’s pre- budget scrutiny this year, we heard from stakeholders across the third sector who made it clear that they need more certainty when it comes to their budgets.”
“We are also pleased to hear that the Scottish Government acknowledges the leadership role that it should play in ensuring country-wide adoption of the national performance framework. Of central concern to the committee is the outcome of reducing poverty, which it considered alongside several other outcomes that rely on poverty reduction in order to be achieved. We wrote to the cabinet secretary on that basis, highlighting how the national outcomes on care, housing, communities and equalities and human rights are intrinsically linked to the goal to reduce poverty. The committee explained the link between poverty and care by drawing on the research that it commissioned in 2023, which found that disabled households were more vulnerable to rising energy and food prices and that disability payments were not able to meet additional costs.”
“As convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, I am pleased to contribute to the Finance and Public Administration Committee debate on the Scottish Government’s proposed revised national outcomes. The Social Justice and Social Security Committee welcomed the opportunity to participate in the scrutiny process. We are grateful to the Finance and Public Administration Committee for undertaking the consultation. That information, coupled with the evidence that we have gathered through our work on reducing poverty, informed our letter to the Scottish Government. The Social Justice and Social Security Committee thanks the cabinet secretary for her response, and appreciates the Scottish Government’s recognition of the interconnected nature of the outcomes and their relationship to poverty.”
“To ask the Scottish Government how its draft budget will support the arts and culture sector in 2025-26, including through the provision of multiyear funding programmes for artists and cultural organisations. (S6O-04158)”
“It will support Social Security Scotland to increase the support that it provides through disability benefits and the game-changing Scottish child payment. The Deputy Presiding Officer: You need to conclude. Collette Stevenson: The draft budget will also lay the groundwork to scrap the cruel two-child cap in Scotland. Save the Children is calling on Parliament— The Deputy Presiding Officer: You need to conclude. Collette Stevenson: —to back the budget. I ask members to support it. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to the closing speeches. 16:39”
“In the face of Westminster inaction, Scotland’s Government is taking the decisive action that is needed to ensure that our country is fairer in the present and ready for the challenges of the future. The SNP’s draft budget sets out investment right across the board. I know that people in East Kilbride will be particularly pleased about the increased investment in the affordable housing supply programme. Thanks to Scottish Government funding, we have seen many new houses and flats built across the town in recent years but, with on-going demand, people in East Kilbride will welcome the investment of more than £767 million to deliver even more affordable homes. The SNP Government’s draft budget marks a turning point, offering delivery in the present and hope for the future.”
“The Scottish child payment benefits about 325,000 children in Scotland, including about 4,400 in East Kilbride, and it is one of the unique payments being delivered through the Scottish Government’s social security system. Taken together, the Scottish Government’s policies are estimated to be keeping 100,000 children out of poverty. However, the SNP Government will not stop there. The previous Tory UK Government introduced the abhorrent two- child cap and rape clause. That policy has caused thousands of children to be living in poverty. Sadly, despite Labour’s promise of change, Keir Starmer’s Labour Government is keeping that cruel measure. Scotland’s SNP Government will scrap the Labour UK Government’s two-child benefit cap in Scotland, lifting more than 15,000 Scottish children out of poverty and ending a major driver of deprivation.”
“However, Scotland’s economy has shown resilience, and people in Scotland recognise the SNP’s commitment to a strong social contract. The budget will deliver on sharing the wealth of our nation more fairly and ensuring that economic growth benefits everyone in our country. The SNP Scottish Government’s draft budget will, if passed, ensure that we see continued investment in policies to continue tackling child poverty, including the 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare, concessionary travel for under-22s, employability services and social security. The game-changing Scottish child payment will continue and it will rise with inflation from April. That will mean a payment of more than £27 per week per eligible child in low-income families.”
“I welcome the fact that our first debate of 2025 is on tackling child poverty and inequality, which is the Scottish Government’s key priority. The SNP Government’s draft budget marks a turning point, offering delivery in the present and hope for the future. As well as record investment in vital public services such as the national health service and local government, the budget will support the Government’s aims to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy and tackle the climate emergency. Scotland has faced a challenging few years, with the pandemic alongside a triple whammy of Westminster-created harms—austerity, Brexit and the cost of living crisis—and challenges remain for many households. Living standards are not good enough for far too many, and rising energy costs continue to put pressure on people.”
“Patrick Harvie: Those are simple, affordable, straightforward areas where action could be taken right now to cut the cost of living, tackle child and family poverty and ensure better health and wellbeing for people who, today, struggle to meet those costs. 15:42”
“We are also pressing ahead with the proposed heat in buildings bill. If we get that right, it will cut not only emissions but people’s energy bills and so cut costs for households. On the budget that we face in the weeks ahead, the Government knows that we are pressing as hard as we can for capping bus fares at £2, to cut costs for people getting about in their daily lives, and for accelerating the roll-out of free school meals. I wish to goodness that Labour colleagues were negotiating hard for such positive changes, or their own priorities, in the budget process. They seem determined only to come up with yet another new way to achieve nothing out of that process. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Mr Harvie, please bring your remarks to a close.”
“There is nothing surprising there. However, Parliament and the parties represented in it should criticise policies by advancing positive ideas, and that is the Greens’ track record. There is now more progressive taxation in this country; the Scottish child payment has been increased; there is free bus travel for young people; peak rail fares were scrapped, at least for as long as that scheme lasted; school meal debt has been abolished, which has cut the cost of the school day; there has been investment in energy efficiency; and we have seen an emergency rent freeze. That is our positive track record of action. Our current proposals aim to keep the critical elements of the Housing (Scotland) Bill so that we do not continue to impose above-inflation rent increases even in circumstances that justify the maximum action.”
“Putting more money into the pockets of people who need it is and always will be a vital part of the response to poverty and inequality. There is nothing to be embarrassed about in saying so. The political right is never embarrassed about demanding tax breaks for the wealthiest in order to put more money into their pockets. Progressives should never be embarrassed about the positive role that social security has to play in putting money into the pockets of those who need it. Cutting the costs that people face in their lives is another critical intervention. Progressive taxation is needed to pay for both forms of action. The Scottish Government’s motion could be criticised for being a wee bit self-congratulatory, but, frankly, every Government does that—I might even have done it once or twice myself in the past few years.”
“In relation to the policy decisions that have been made by Labour, I note the fact that a handful of Labour MSPs are in the chamber for this debate about eradicating child poverty. I would like to think that their colleagues are maybe down at Westminster, trying to mitigate and remove the bedroom tax, the benefit cap and the brutal cut to the winter fuel payment, as well as the national insurance payments that have been increased. Patrick Harvie: I have sympathy for some of what the member says, but that intervention might be more appropriate on a Labour member’s speech than on mine. I want to address the fact that the wider life circumstances that people face are hugely important, whether they be in health, education or skills, and in the inequalities there. Those are both the causes and the consequences of poverty.”