8. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the impact of crime on poverty. (S6O-02703)

The Scottish Government recognises the strong relationship between deprivation and crime. Our document “The Vision for Justice in Scotland” and our tackling child poverty delivery plan recognise the need to work together to mitigate the impact of poverty and to reduce the number of people who have contact with the justice system.

Tackling poverty lies at the heart of what we do as a Government, and it is discussed regularly by ministerial colleagues. We are allocating almost £3 billion in 2023-24 to support policies that tackle poverty and to protect people as far as possible during the on-going cost crisis.

The single biggest cause of homelessness for women is domestic abuse, but many are trapped by poverty, with Rape Crisis Scotland saying:

“Safety should not have a price tag, but for too many women the cost of leaving an abusive relationship is simply unaffordable.”

There is a pilot project to financially support those seeking to escape a violent relationship, but it is three years late and limited to just five local authorities. What are women in the rest of Scotland supposed to do?

The leavers fund, which the member mentioned, is one example of the support that the Government, local authorities and the third sector can give women fleeing domestic violence. It is important that we continue to see that in the round. That is why I point the member to the other policies in our equally safe strategy that ensure that we support women at their most vulnerable time, which is what the Government intends to do.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

That concludes portfolio questions on social justice. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business to allow front-bench teams to change position, should they wish.