Our response to the report

Responding to the Auditor General for Scotland and Accounts Commission briefing report, Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland said: 

“This report is a warning to the Scottish Government that to tackle child poverty it needs to focus on long-term prevention, not just on short-term solutions.  

“Experiencing poverty can severely affect a child’s development and have a negative impact on their human rights to mental and physical health, education, family relationships, standard of living, aspirations and dreams– both in childhood and adult life.  

“Children have told us that they feel poverty robs them of their childhood, but this is not inevitable. We cannot accept children going hungry, being cold and unable to learn and function day-to-day as a part of our society. The Scottish Government must involve children and their families with experience poverty as part of their planning so that it can deliver what is needed. Poverty is a political choice; a consequence of decisions made by the UK and Scottish Governments and they need to act now.”