Asked by: Elaine Stewart (Labour - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle child poverty in Scotland.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
Poverty scars the lives and life chances of our children.
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the very best start in life.
In December, we set out our ambitious and comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy. It sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short-term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to create long-term change across the UK. Our decision to lift the two-child cap alone will benefit 95,000 Scottish children.
Asked by: Elaine Stewart (Labour - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support grassroots football in Scotland.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Grassroots sports are the backbone of Scottish communities, and that is why we are investing a further £8.6 million this year in sports facilities across Scotland.
Through this scheme, almost 100 facilities across Scotland, including in our island and rural communities, have been built or upgraded and with this new funding, we can look forward to many more.
This scheme will increase participation, improve health and help people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of sport.