Experimental statistics on were released by Scotland鈥檚 Chief Statistician today.
Responding to the new data, Professor Steve Turner, Officer for Scotland for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said:
鈥淭his latest data tells us that one-in-five children in Scotland continue to miss out on what most parents would see as a basic right, for example, having a warm winter coat, having some new clothes, an outdoor space to play in. The families finding it hardest to get by continue to struggle.
The Scottish Government has acknowledged that poverty remains a problem and has recently published a series of proposals that aim to reduce relative child poverty to less than 10% by 2030. Babies born today will be children in 2030 so the time for talking is over, and action is required now. One proposed action which RCPCH supports is the Best Start Foods scheme, which provides access to healthy food for families on low income and which may free up funds for parents to spend on their children鈥檚 other basic needs. Proposals like this will help give every child in Scotland equal opportunity to learn, live and thrive.鈥