THE failure to set out how to meet its own child poverty targets could leave the Scottish government open to legal challenge, charities have warned.

In 2017, through the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act, Holyrood set a legally binding target of cutting child poverty to 10 per cent or less by 2030/31 and placed responsibility on the Scottish government to set out plans to achieve it.

But according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), ministers’ latest Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan fails to do that.

Having consulted a KC, they believe that a legal challenge to the plan could succeed.

Now the charity has joined forces with Save the Children (Scotland), Poverty Alliance, the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, Trussell, and Aberlour to publish that legal advice and demand the plan be rewritten.

JRF Scotland associate director Chris Birt said: “The legally binding targets were set so Scotland could be transformed into a place where child poverty is a lot rarer than it is today.

“That would be a Scotland where those children and their families who need support are more likely to get it, and where every child in our society has the chance to explore their potential.

“John Swinney has said eradicating child poverty is a ‘defining mission’ of his new government. 

“To achieve that, his government needs to significantly raise its ambition for transforming children’s lives.

“The most important thing now is for the Scottish government to bring forward a bolder delivery plan.”

Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly added: “The legal advice published today tells us what we already know: the current tackling child poverty delivery plan simply is not enough to meet Scotland’s child poverty targets.”

Social justice and housing secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our child poverty delivery plan is entirely focused on tackling the scourge of child poverty within the powers we have.

“It meets the requirements of the Act that this government introduced as part of our long-standing commitment to tackle child poverty.

“As the only government in the UK to have ambitious, legally binding child poverty targets, it sets out a robust framework and clear action to drive continued progress in reducing child poverty.

“We welcome partners working with us to deliver on our shared and bold ambition to eradicate child poverty.”