School Clothing Grant (Payments in 2017)

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament on 7th March 2018.

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Photo of Jackie Baillie Jackie Baillie Labour

I welcome that response from the cabinet secretary. He did, of course, agree to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to produce a minimum payment in 2016, but we have not seen evidence of that yet. I am concerned, because just this week the Scottish National Party members of West Dunbartonshire Council considered reducing the school clothing grant to £50. Thankfully, they did not. The Labour group proposed an increase to £130, and the cabinet secretary will of course be aware that the poverty truth commission says that the true cost of kitting out a child for school is, indeed, £130. Will he consider using that as the appropriate minimum figure for all local authorities in Scotland?