Motion S5M-09453: Poverty in Scotland 2017
That the Parliament welcomes the release of Poverty in Scotland 2017 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF); understands that the report is part of the work done by the JRF to measure the rates of poverty in Scotland and how they are changing; notes that the report finds poverty is lower in Scotland than the rest of the UK, particularly for older people and families with children; further notes that more than a third of those in the poorest fifth of the population spend more than one third of their income on housing alone; understands with concern the extra difficulties highlighted by the report for people facing poverty; notes that this includes a much higher rate of depression and anxiety, being unable to maintain any savings or investments and a gap in educational attainment; welcomes the lower rates of poverty but believes that no one should be living in poverty in a country as wealthy as Scotland, and calls on all levels of government to take action to help narrow the gap.