Following discussions at Perth and Kinross Council this week, Cllr Caroline Shiers commented:
"I would like to thank officers for the report presented to the council this week and I am very supportive of all the strategic aims and especially moving to a longer-term plan - as set out in the child poverty strategy – something all of us in this chamber want to see addressed.
!I note the role of our Community Planning Partners as a key to developing the plan and taking it forward and I was very encouraged to see so many key partners around the table at the first Anti-Poverty Task force. I thank the leader of the council for establishment of the task force and look forward to, on behalf of the Scottish Conservative group, playing my part.
"I would thank our officers as highlighted in the report for the outstanding work done by individual officers and teams across the council which makes such a huge difference. I hope those officers hear the comments from across the chamber today.
"I would also echo the comments from the leader of the council and other officers about the humbling approach from our communities who stepped up during COVID and have done so again during this cost-of-living crisis.
"A recent report by Audit Scotland looking at child poverty across Scotland highlighted the need for the Scottish Government to ensure that all public sector partners are focused on the prevention of child poverty and ensuring long term measures are in place and not just sticking plaster approaches which none of us want to use if we can avoid it.
"This is a crucial approach that we must ensure underpins our planning and efforts along with keeping a check that what we are doing is making a real difference to people and ensuring that the views of children and families are heard.
"We also need a fair funding settlement for local councils in order that we can deliver the on the ground measures needed to break the cycles of poverty which have blighted too many families for too many years. Without the necessary funding it will be impossible for us to achieve all we want to do in tackling child poverty across Perth and Kinross. I would urge the leader of the council to lobby his SNP colleagues in Holyrood to ensure that councils are properly funded in the forthcoming budget".
