John Swinney vows to eradicate child poverty in Scotland

The first minister said child poverty “stands in the way of both social justice and economic growth”.

He pledged £16m of investment over two years to expanding access to childcare facilities with six early adopter community projects – which he said support low-income families to enter and sustain employment.

Ministers have a statutory target to cut the number of children living in households in relative poverty to below 10% by 2030.

A Scottish government report, published in March, found on average about 240,000 children (24%) were living in relative poverty after housing costs, over the period from 2020 to 2023.

Mr Swinney told MSPs his government would “work to create growth, create jobs and to maximise the huge economic opportunities that lie ahead”.

He added: “In modern Scotland it should not be a struggle to find fair work or to raise a family.

“So for me and for my government, eradicating child poverty and boosting economic growth go hand in hand.”

To help the country reach its target to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, the SNP leader said the government would invest in green energy and infrastructure.

“In a modern prosperous Scotland we must invest in tacking the climate emergency in a way that created jobs and brings local businesses and communities with us,” he said.

And on the government’s fourth policy priority, improving public services, Mr Swinney vowed to lift educational performance, deliver sustainable social care by tackling delayed discharge, improve efficiency in the criminal justice system and to expand housing supply.