Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill

# Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill Child poverty remains a significant challenge in Scotland, with substantial numbers of children living in households below the relative income poverty line. The Scottish Government introduced this bill to establish a statutory framework for tackling child poverty, moving beyond voluntary commitments to create legally binding targets and accountability mechanisms. The legislation was designed to ensure sustained governmental action and measurable progress in reducing the proportion and number of children living in poverty across Scotland. The bill creates a duty on Scottish Ministers to set and work towards achieving child poverty targets across three measures: relative poverty, absolute poverty, and material deprivation. It requires the Scottish Government to develop and publish delivery plans outlining how these targets will be met, and to report regularly to the Scottish Parliament on progress. The legislation establishes an independent advisory body to monitor performance and provide expert guidance, along with provisions for parliamentary scrutiny of the government's efforts. These mechanisms aim to embed child poverty reduction as a core policy objective with transparent oversight and regular public accountability for outcomes.

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