4. To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Dundee City Council regarding how its welfare policies address the reported widening of the Scottish index of multiple deprivation gap between the least and most deprived parts of the city. (S5O-04544)

The Scottish Government has discussed support for food and other essentials with Dundee City Council. The council is working closely with the third sector, through its food insecurity network, to provide food aid support to people who experience financial barriers to accessing food, and has engaged with Dundee Bairns to provide additional food to low-income families. Going forward, the council is aiming to integrate advice provision with food-aid providers to ensure that people are getting the support that they need to maximise their incomes.

According to the latest deprivation index figures for Dundee, last year the city had 1,000 more people in the most-deprived bracket than it had in 2016.

Dundee City Council now faces a reported £19.6 million Covid funding shortfall. Does the Cabinet secretary agree that the Scottish National Party Government should fund that in full, so that the most vulnerable Dundee residents are not pushed further into deprivation?

The Scottish Government takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that low-income families are supported. For example, last year £1.96 billion was invested to support low-income households across Scotland. As was mentioned in a previous answer, we are delivering on the Scottish child payment as well, which will support families throughout Dundee.

Additional funding has been made available to all local authorities during the coronavirus pandemic.

I point to the £5 million from the community funding package, as an example. That is just one of the funding packages that has been available to Dundee City Council, and which has gone to organisations in its area.

Again, I hope that Mr Bowman will recognise the importance of supporting low-income families at all times—not just during the pandemic. I also hope that he will join me in ensuring that low-income benefits, which remain reserved to the Westminster Government, are set at an adequate level, and that he will support the real living wage—which will get people out of poverty—and the fair work agenda.

Of course, the biggest change that could be made to the Westminster Government’s mind at this point would be to get it to continue the furlough scheme, which would, of course, support more families and allow people to stay in jobs, so that they do not fall into unemployment and poverty.