Consultation Response 'Tackling Child Poverty in Scotland: A Discussion Paper'

Shelter welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Scottish Government’s discussion paper on tackling child poverty in Scotland. We support the suggested key aims of the strategy to a) to maximise the resources of households with children and b) to improve the well-being and life chances of children as well as the general approach taken in the paper.

While the paper clearly outlines many of the key policy areas where the Scottish Government can make a difference in tackling child poverty it would be helpful to have a greater sense of the specific actions that the Scottish Government and its partners agree to take forward as part of the strategy.

We are pleased to note that the discussion paper makes an explicit link between child poverty and the role of communities and the physical environment. Extensive research has shown the profound impact bad housing has on children’s life chances and the risks it poses to children’s well-being.

If child poverty is to be eradicated by 2020 then housing must play an integral role in the Scottish Government’s strategy.