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Post Legislative Scrutiny of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017

Background

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 aims to tackle, report on and measure child poverty in Scotland. It sets out specific targets relating to the eradication of child poverty as well as making provision for planning and reporting relating to the achievement of these targets.

The Act set out four income targets to be met by April 2030 and four interim ones to be met by 2023.

It also set up a statutory Poverty and Inequality Commission with functions related to the scrutiny of child poverty reduction targets.

The Act states that:

• the Scottish Government must meet the four income-based child poverty targets by 2030 and report on the actions they will take to meet those targets
• Scottish Ministers has to publish plans on how they are tackling child poverty and report on those every year
• local councils and health boards have produce yearly reports on their work to reduce child poverty

The Committee wants to examine the impact of having these requirements enshrined in legislation underpinned by statutory targets and assess what would be different if there was no Act.

Your views

The Committee would like to hear your views on the Act. We are particularly interested in learning about:

• how policies might have been different without the Act
• whether there would have been less focus on child poverty without the Act
• whether the Act has served to ‘focus minds and resources’

The Committee's call for views will be open between 10 July and 13 September 2024.

Share your views with the Committee