Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, which provided the Committee with the Child Poverty Action report for 2019/20, as required by the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the joint Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian Child Poverty Action Report 2019/20 for submission to the Scottish Government.

Councillor Lesley Dunbar moved, seconded by the Depute Provost, Councillor Stewart, that the Committee:-

(i)        agrees and approves the Aberdeen City Local Child Poverty Action Report 2019 – 2020 endorsed by Caroline Hiscox Chief Executive NHS Grampian and Angela Scott Chief Executive Aberdeen City Council for submission to the Scottish Government;

(ii)       notes the commitment of the Chief Executives of Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian to eradicating child poverty by 2030;

(iii)      notes the decision of the Operational Delivery Committee on 17^th September 2019 to adopt the Local Outcome Improvement Plan as the Council’s Child Poverty Action Plan for 2019-2022;

(iv)      agrees that this Committee receives a half yearly report on the actions being taken by Community Planning Aberdeen to reduce and eradicate child poverty around the priorities for 2020/21 as noted in appendix 1;

(v)       notes that research from Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities which looked at socioeconomic deprivation including the evaluation of the association of residing in an area of socioeconomic deprivation with 30-day mortality following admission to critical care with COVID-19 indicates that:

People in the most deprived areas are more likely to be severely ill with and die from Covid-19 than those in wealthier areas;

(vi)      notes the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned Scottish Government that child poverty targets will be missed unless Scottish Ministers take bold action to ensure no child is left behind;

(vii)     notes with huge disappointment that, despite the Council agreeing at its budget meeting in February 2016 to explore the option of an Energy Service Company (ESCo), the Scottish Government has some 5 years later still failed to move forward with a Scottish ESCo as promised;

(viii)    given many children in Scotland continue to go hungry and other people are forced to go without food in order to feed other members of their family, notes with great disappointment that the legislative programme endorsed by the Scottish Government and supported by the SNP fails to include “The right to food” Bill but does include legislation on Independence;

(ix)      notes research has shown that child poverty continues to increase in Scotland and, agrees that the Scottish Government should reassess its current priorities to ensure it is doing all it can to help those children most in need through this Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, rather than prioritising a further Independence referendum;  

(x)       notes the progress made during 2019/20 and the priorities for 20/21 and instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Local Government seeking an assurance from him that the Scottish Government will support Aberdeen City Council to eradicate child poverty in the city by 2030 by providing adequate funding in forthcoming local government budget settlements;

(xi)      notes the increase in funding to Universal Credit by the UK Government worth up to £1,000 per recipient; and

(xii)     instructs the Chief Executive to write to the UK Government Chancellor of the Exchequer asking him to continue the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift beyond April 2021.

Councillor McLellan moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Audrey Nicoll, that the Committee:-

(i)        agrees and approves the Aberdeen City Local Child Poverty Action Report 2019 – 2020 endorsed by Caroline Hiscox Chief Executive NHS Grampian and Angela Scott Chief Executive Aberdeen City Council for submission to the Scottish Government;

(ii)       notes the commitment of the Chief Executives of Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian to eradicating child poverty by 2030;

(iii)      notes the decision of the Operational Delivery Committee on 17^th September 2019 to adopt the Local Outcome Improvement Plan as the Council’s Child Poverty Action Plan for 2019-2022;

(iv)      agrees Committee receives a half yearly report on the actions being taken by Community Planning Aberdeen to reduce and eradicate child poverty around the priorities for 2020/21 as noted in appendix 1;  

(v)       notes that the UK Government continues to under fund Universal Credit;

(vi)      instructs the Chief Executive to write to the UK Government Chancellor of the Exchequer asking him to continue the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift permanently and extend the furlough period and support to assist those people who have not had any support to date;

(vii)     notes that 21.5% of children in Aberdeen are currently living in poverty, down from 22.8% in 2016/17;

(viii)    notes that Covid-19 has had an adverse impact on a number of people in Aberdeen and the local economy; and

(ix)      instructs the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to bring back a report outlining the impact of Covid-19 on child poverty in our city.

Councillor Yuill moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Radley, that the Committee:-

(i)              agrees and approves the Aberdeen City Local Child Poverty Action Report 2019 – 2020 endorsed by Caroline Hiscox Chief Executive NHS Grampian and Angela Scott Chief Executive Aberdeen City Council for submission to the Scottish Government;

(ii)       notes the commitment of the Chief Executives of Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian to eradicating child poverty by 2030;

(iii)      notes the decision of the Operational Delivery Committee on 17^th September 2019 to adopt the Local Outcome Improvement Plan as the Council’s Child Poverty Action Plan for 2019-2022;

(iv)      agrees that this Committee receives a half yearly report on the actions being taken by Community Planning Aberdeen to reduce and eradicate child poverty around the priorities for 2020/21 as noted in appendix 1;

(v)       notes that research from Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities which looked at socioeconomic deprivation including the evaluation of the association of residing in an area of socioeconomic deprivation with 30-day mortality following admission to critical care with COVID-19 indicates that:

People in the most deprived areas are more likely to be severely ill with and die from Covid-19 than those in wealthier areas;

(vi)      notes the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned Scottish Government that child poverty targets will be missed unless Scottish Ministers take bold action to ensure no child is left behind;

(vii)     notes with huge disappointment that, despite the Council agreeing at its budget meeting in February 2016 to explore the option of an Energy Service Company (ESCo), the Scottish Government has some 5 years later still failed to move forward with a Scottish ESCo as promised;

(viii)    given many children in Scotland continue to go hungry and other people are forced to go without food in order to feed other members of their family the Committee notes with great disappointment that the legislative programme endorsed by the Scottish Government and supported by the SNP fails to include “The right to food” Bill but does include legislation on Independence;

(ix)      notes research has shown that child poverty continues to increase in Scotland and, agrees that the Scottish Government should reassess its current priorities to ensure it is doing all it can to help those children most in need through this Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, rather than prioritising a further Independence referendum;  

(x)       notes the progress made during 2019/20 and the priorities for 20/21 and instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Minister for Local Government seeking an assurance from him that the Scottish Government will support Aberdeen City Council to eradicate child poverty in the city by 2030 by providing adequate funding in forthcoming local government budget settlements;

(xi)      notes the increase in funding to Universal Credit by the UK Government worth up to £1,000 per recipient;

(xii)     instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer urging him to make permanent the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift, extend the furlough scheme and provide support to the three million UK taxpayers currently so far excluded from receiving support;

(xiii)    notes that 21.5% of children in Aberdeen are currently living in poverty, down from 22.8% in 2016/17;

(xiv)    notes that Covid-19 has had an adverse impact on a number of people in Aberdeen and the local economy; and

(xv)     instructs the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to bring back a report outlining the impact of Covid-19 on child poverty in our city.

There being a motion and two amendments, the Committee first divided between the two amendments.

On a division, there voted:- for the amendment by Councillor McLellan – (5) – Councillors Cormie, Henrickson, McLellan, Audrey Nicoll and Radley; for the amendment by Councillor Yuill – (8) – the Convener, the Vice Convener Councillor Bell, the Vice Convener Councillor Graham; and Councillors Lesley Dunbar, Lumsden, Macdonald, Stewart, the Depute Provost and Yuill.

The Committee then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Yuill.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (7) – the Convener, the Vice Convener Councillor Bell, the Vice Convener Councillor Graham; and Councillors Lesley Dunbar, Lumsden, Macdonald and Stewart, the Depute Provost; for the amendment (1) – Councillor Yuill; declined to vote (5) – Councillors Cormie, Henrickson, McLellan, Audrey Nicoll and Radley.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.