1. Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill
Directors of Public Health
28 April 2017

2. Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill
The Bill consists of the following key elements:
Four statutory income targets, based on the 2010 Act targets but with two key differences: 2030 timeframe and After Housing Costs
Duties on Scottish Ministers to publish:
A 3-year Delivery Plan by 1 April 2018 and two subsequent 5-year Delivery Plans
Annual progress reports
A final progress report setting out whether the targets have been met
Duty on local authorities and health boards to produce annual reports on activity they are taking to reduce child poverty

3. Proposed child poverty targets for 2030
Less than 10% of children are in relative poverty
Less than 5% of children are in absolute poverty
Less than 5% of children are in combined low income and material deprivation
Less than 5% of children are in persistent poverty

4. s.10 - Local Child Poverty Action Report
A local authority and each relevant Health Board must, as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of each reporting year, jointly prepare and publish a report (a “local child poverty action report”).
(2) A local child poverty action report must describe any measures taken in the area of the local authority during the reporting year by—
(a) the local authority,
(b) each relevant Health Board, for the purpose of contributing to the meeting of the child poverty targets.
(3) In this section—
“relevant Health Board”, in relation to a local authority, means a Health Board constituted under section 2(1)(a) of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 whose area—
(a) is the same as the area of the local authority, or
(b) includes all or part of the area of the local authority,
“reporting year” means a financial year falling within the period of a plan prepared under section 7(1).

5. Guidance Commitment to produce guidance on the operation of the duty
Reference group being established to help develop the guidance
Aim to have guidance finalised by end 2017
First plans due 2019

6. Reference Group
Members appointed from range of LAs: Highland, Shetland, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, West Lothian and Dumfries and Galloway
Also Aberlour, NHS Health Scotland and COSLA
First meeting 8 May; further meetings over Summer 2017 to inform drafting of guidance
Important to have strong Health representation

7. Terms of Reference The Group will advise on:
Describing what an annual report should contain and subsequently advising on what form of guidance would be most useful to this end.
Identifying how best to involve all CPP partners in the development of the annual reports
Identifying best practice in relation to tackling, monitoring and reporting on child poverty, including, where applicable, successful tests of change using improvement methodology;
Identification and mapping of local analysis, indicators and outcomes relating to the measurement and tracking progress towards reducing child poverty, ensuring alignment with the national Child Poverty Measurement Framework.
Identifying existing reporting duties on local authorities and NHS boards, and how the new reporting duty on child poverty can best align with these to avoid duplication at local level

8. Parliamentary passage of the Bill – next steps
Stage 1
Evidence sessions underway
Committee report and recommendations
Debate agreeing the principles of the Bill
Stage 2
Amending stage
Committee sessions to be held before summer
Stage 3
Final debate