Reacting to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, Oxfam Scotland says it must be followed by fair tax reforms to ensure promises are backed up with funding, while also criticising key gaps in the Government’s planned legislation.
Oxfam welcomes the priority placed by the First Minister on ending child poverty, but says the robust new action to get on track to meet the legal child poverty targets is missing, with the roll out of free school meals for all P6 and P7s also scrapped. It says that eradicating child poverty, as well as plans for a Heat in Buildings Bill to accelerate the essential switch to clean heat in Scotland’s homes, will require major investment to deliver meaningful change at speed.
Oxfam is also sharply critical of the failure to introduce Bills focused on delivering a fairer and better future. This includes shelving plans for a Human Rights Bill that would have enshrined basics, like the right to food, into Scots law. A Wellbeing Sustainable Development Bill which, once implemented, would have ensured the National Outcomes became the roadmap to a Scotland that thrives, not just for us, but for our children, our grandchildren, and beyond, is also missing.
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Without decisive devolved tax reforms to fairly raise more money, this Programme for Government risks being full of half empty and underwhelming promises.
“Commitments on clean home heating systems and enhancing support for low-income families are encouraging, but with emergency spending cuts this year, we’ll continue facing the same predictable gap between commitments and cash. Scottish Ministers must use devolved powers to introduce far reaching tax reforms that target wealth to help ramp up their ambition and turn their promises into progress.
“It’s also deeply disappointing and short-sighted that Ministers have shelved plans for a Scottish Human Rights Bill and rolled back on commitments to future proof public policy with the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill again missing.”
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For more information please contact: Rebecca Lozza, Oxfam Media and Communications Adviser, Scotland and Wales: rlozza1@oxfam.org.uk / 07917738450