Tackling Inequalities

As an amendment to motion S4M-12095 in the name of Alex Neil (Tackling Inequalities), leave out from “deplores” to end and insert “notes that, since the UK Government came into office, there are now 160,000 additional jobs in Scotland, which means that last year saw more people in work than ever before; recognises that, UK-wide, three-quarters of new jobs are in full-time positions and two-thirds are in skilled trades; accepts that the introduction of universal credit will significantly increase the flexibility for benefit claimants to enter employment without losing support; believes that universal credit will increase personal responsibility and reduce dependency, allowing more people to benefit from the economic recovery, which is the result of the UK Government's successful economic policies; expresses concern at the Scottish Government’s lack of action on health and educational inequalities, particularly through its inaction on preventative spend, which promised to move ‘from dealing with the symptoms of disadvantage and inequality towards tackling their root causes’, but welcomes the Scottish Government’s action in paying the living wage as part of its pay policy and, by supporting living wage accreditation, encouraging more organisations and businesses to follow this example when they are able to do so.”