Every penny of future policies will be aimed at reducing poverty, vows Yousaf

Humza Yousaf has said “every penny and pound” of future Scottish Government commitments will be examined to ensure it is targeted at tackling poverty.

Speaking at an anti-poverty summit in Edinburgh, the First Minister said every Government department has been asked to review upcoming policies to ensure they are better targeted at those on the lowest incomes.

He had earlier indicated that the policy of expanding free school meals to all pupils may be under review.

Mr Yousaf told the Daily Record: “I’ve got a 14-year-old now. Should people be paying for her free school meals when I earn a First Minister’s salary?

“I don’t think that’s the right way to use that money. A better way is to target those that need it absolutely the most.”

Speaking to the PA news agency, he said the Government had a manifesto commitment for the expansion of free school meals.

He said: “I think it’d be fair, though, for people to expect the Government to do a bit of evidential work, get that evidential basis to look at whether or not there’s more we can do to target our spend towards those in the lowest income households – ensure they get the support the quickest.

“That’s a piece of work I’ve asked every single Cabinet secretary to do right across the board.

“Any pound that we spend, any penny that we spend in the future, are we ensuring that we got the evidential basis there, to make sure it’s helping us to reduce poverty?”

Mr Yousaf said he would maintain existing universal benefits, such as free tuition fees.

He attacked Labour’s position on this, saying: “Keir Starmer is rolling back and doing a Nick Clegg on tuition fees in England.

“I’m sure they will suffer at the ballot box as a result.”

The Educational Institute of Scotland has hit out at the suggestion the policy of universal free school meals could be abandoned.

General secretary Andrea Bradley made clear: “Reneging on a commitment to free school meals would be a massive and profoundly damaging mistake which would betray young people living in poverty across Scotland, and would be a particularly hard blow to families with school-aged children as they continue the hard struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.”

Labour MSP Monica Lennon said Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth had given a “welcome commitment on the further rollout of universal free school meals” to Holyrood last week.

Ms Lennon tweeted: “Poverty doesn’t end at the primary school gates; Humza needs to hold his nerve and continue the rollout.”

The comments came as Mr Yousaf spoke about “targeting help” at Wednesday’s summit – also hinting there could be future tax rises for higher earners to help boost support for low-income Scots.

Mr Yousaf told the summit: “We must be bold in considering future tax decisions. Tough choices will need to be made about existing budgets, and we need to consider whether targeting help is the way forward when money is so tight.”

The First Minister said he had called the summit, which brought together anti-poverty campaigners, academics and people “at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis and with direct experience of poverty”, so the Government could consider what more needs to be done.

Mr Yousaf said: “Everything I heard confirmed that poverty and the cost-of-living crisis is the biggest challenge facing this country – one that has been exacerbated by some of the UK Government’s actions and inactions.

“We have already acted to tackle the pressure on those most in need – for example, our game-changing £25 per week, per child Scottish Child Payment, Carer’s Allowance Supplement, and Winter Heating Payment. But we must do more.”

The EIS said it is “deeply concerned” about whether the First Minister is now “suggesting a roll-back on the Scottish Government’s commitment to the delivery of free school meals for all young people”.

Ms Bradley said: “The First Minister seems to suggest that means-testing provision of free school meals is a preferable option, primarily for financial reasons.

“But that is misunderstanding the problem entirely.

“A key principle of universal provision of free school meals for all young people is about removing the stigma of free entitlement, to ensure that the young people who need free meals the most feel completely comfortable in accepting them.”