On Tuesday, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice stood where the Deputy First Minister is and delivered the annual update on progress to tackle child poverty. We know that levels of child poverty in Scotland have been stagnant for 17 years and that, on many measures, they have increased.

The cabinet secretary said:

“our action is making a difference.”—[Official Report, 4 June 2024; c 11.]

At the same time as that statement, the Poverty and Inequality Commission released its annual scrutiny report, which, in relation to the Government’s actions, said:

“Limited progress has been made ... over the last year ... Progress in other areas is slow or not evident at all”

and

“without immediate and significant action, the Scottish Government will not meet the 2030 targets.”

The cabinet secretary told me that the Government is committed to those targets. Does the Deputy First Minister agree with the commission’s analysis of her Government’s actions, and will the Government meet those targets?

The Government is very proud of the fact that tackling child poverty is one of its national missions. We take it seriously; it is one of the top priorities of the First Minister. The cabinet secretary set out the action that we are taking, which has resulted in just short of 100,000 children who would have been in poverty not being in poverty. The evidence is clear, internationally: the Scottish child payment is game changing. It is the only one of its kind in Europe. We want to go as far as possible in lifting children out of poverty.