NEARLY a quarter of children in Scotland are growing up in poverty and government policy remains “nowhere near adequate” to turn the tide, MSPs have been warned.

Child Poverty Action Group director John Dickie made the comments as he gave evidence to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee this week as it reviews progress on anti-poverty targets in Scotland.

The unanimously backed the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 placed obligations to cut child poverty to 10 per cent by 2020.

But with 24 per cent of children living in poverty, Mr Dickie warned the government’s actions were “nowhere near adequate to ensure we reach the targets.”

He insisted there was “no credible route to meeting the 2030 target that doesn’t involve further investment, and above inflation increases to the Scottish child payment.”

Calling for boosts in childcare to allow parents — particularly women — to increase their working hours and income, and more action to  “ensure that decent housing is available and its costs don’t push parents into poverty,” he added: “These things all need to happen and that will require substantive additional investment.”

While welcoming First Minister John Swinney’s stated focus on child poverty, he said there has been a “failure of the Parliament to hold government to account, because progress has stalled.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Eradicating child poverty in Scotland is a national mission for the Scottish government.

“We will continue to do everything within the scope of our powers and budget to meet the 2030 child poverty targets and deliver the change needed.

“However we also need the UK government to do more.

“It is deeply disappointing they have failed to abolish the two-child limit, given the irrefutable evidence that the policy is increasing  poverty and hardship across the UK.”