7. To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it has allocated to help protect and lift families out of food poverty and extreme poverty. (S5O-04555)

Last year, we spent around £1.4 billion supporting low-income households, including more than £100 million to mitigate the impact of United Kingdom Government welfare cuts. In response to the pandemic, we have gone well beyond our original £70 million food fund commitment, which was introduced in March, by investing more than £110 million on tackling food insecurity, supporting people during this hugely difficult time and ensuring that free school meals were maintained for more than 175,000 pupils over the Easter and summer breaks. We have more than doubled the Scottish welfare fund, and applications will soon open for the new Scottish child payment, which shows our commitment to tackling child poverty head on.

The tragic death of Mercy Baguma last week evidences that much more must be done to protect the most vulnerable in our society. As the economic ramifications of Covid-19 affect families across Scotland, will the Scottish Government continue to push for practical financial support and ensure provision of food and basic securities, especially for people in extreme poverty and those in very vulnerable circumstances, such as asylum seekers, who have fewer rights and community safety nets?

Bill Kidd asks a hugely important question. Mercy Baguma’s death was tragic.

Before and during the pandemic, we have raised our grave concerns with the Home Office about the support that is available to asylum seekers and people with no recourse to public funds. The Home Office must stand by commitments made by the Home Secretary to the Home Affairs Select Committee that it will provide the right kind of support to asylum seekers in terms of accommodation and financial provision at this time.

New sources of Scottish Government funding—including the food fund, supporting communities fund and hardship fund—can be used by local authorities and other partners to support people with no recourse to public funds.

The Cabinet secretary mentioned the Scottish welfare fund. This week, the Poverty and Inequality Commission highlighted local authority spending as a key issue in the Scottish welfare fund’s underspend. It also noted that many people using food banks were not aware of the Scottish welfare fund. Does the cabinet secretary agree that that highlights the impact of underfunded authorities and the lack of joined-up planning for emergency food provision? Does she agree that the Government should properly fund local authorities and enshrine into law the right to food?

Having just listed a number of initiatives and schemes that we delivered through the pandemic in partnership with local authorities, I agree that the partnership approach that Elaine Smith identifies is important.

We try to ensure that every penny that we have at our disposal goes to those who need it most, either through local authorities and the Scottish welfare fund or in other ways.

Elaine Smith has a point about the need to raise awareness of sources of support. However, through the pandemic, we have certainly invested more in local authorities from the consequentials that we have received, recognising the important role that they play on the front line.