Child poverty levels in Wishaw and Motherwell raise alarm bells

Oct 8 2008 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

ALMOST one in four children in Wishaw and Motherwell are living in poverty, according to new statistics released last week.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty, a group representing 130 organisations including Barnardos, UNICEF and Save The Children, calculated the figures based on the number of households run on less than £10 per person per day.

It was estimated that 24 per cent of youngsters in the two towns are part of struggling families.

The report states: “The figures use tax credit data to give the percentage of children on low incomes in local authorities and constituencies across the UK.

“This is not a direct measure of exactly how many children are in poverty, but is a good indicator of which areas have the highest child poverty levels.

“It is the closest measure we have at the moment of local levels of child poverty.”

The joint report comes from the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion and the Campaign to End Child Poverty.

Figures for Shotts, which also took in Airdrie, state 24 per cent of children are living in poverty.

The report was released in the same week that the Scottish Government announced free school meals for all children in primaries one to three, from 2010.

Central Scotland SNP MSP Alex Neil said: “This is a welcome announcement today.”

And the MSP concluded: “I hope that not only will we see North Lanarkshire Council deliver on this pledge in August 2010, but that they may be able to introduce this scheme ahead of the government’s schedule.”