Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson asks about interim targets and why they are important.

Bill Scott from Inclusion Scotland says: "We think they are important because they concentrate minds."

Emma Trottier from Engender says the costs of childcare in Scotland is difficult to afford and this has an impact on women.

Ms Trottier says "access to resources is not equal" and asks how that can be accounted for. 

Image source, bbc

Green MSP Alison Johnstone says it seems there has been no gender impact assessment of the social security reforms, which she says is staggering.

Bill Scott from Inclusion Scotland says disabled women who are carers have been doubly impacted on by the cuts.

Mr Scott says 100,000 disabled children have seen the disabled child tax credit being cut. 

He says the children of disabled parents and disabled children are more likely to be living in poverty.

Emma Trottier from Engender says 95% of lone parents are living on social security and there must be flexible high quality child care. 

Image source, Inclusion Scotland

From the Inclusion Scotland website, external: 

"Inclusion Scotland is a consortium of organisations of disabled people and disabled individuals. 

"Through a process of structured development we aim to draw attention to the physical, social, economic, cultural and attitudinal barriers that affect our everyday lives as disabled people in Scotland. 

"We aim to encourage a wide understanding of those issues throughout mainstream thought in Scotland. 

"In short, we want to reverse the current social exclusion experienced by disabled people through civil dialogue, partnerships, capacity building, education, persuasion, training and advocacy."

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins asks if the Bill meets the requirements that Ms Trottier has described.

Mr Tomkins asks how it can be improved. 

Bill Scott from Inclusion Scotland says a gendered approach would assist disabled women. 

Mr Scott says things can be improved generally but leave other groups behind.

"We would like to see something in the Bill to address inequalities," he says. 

Image source, Engender

From the Engender website, external: 

Engender has a vision for a Scotland in which women and men have equal opportunities in life, equal access to resources and power, and are equally safe and secure from harm.  

SNP MSP Ruth Maguire asks what a "gendered approach" is.

Emma Trottier from Engender says children's and mother's well being cannot be seperated.

Ms Trottier says 86% of the cuts to social security are coming from women's income.

She says in Scotland 9/10 lone parents are women. 

"We have to remember the gender dimension of poverty," she says. 

Image source, bbc

MSPs will now take evidence from: 

• Bill Scott from Inclusion Scotland, external
• Emma Trottier from Engender, external

Committee convener Pauline McNeill suspends the committee briefly for a change of witnesses. 

Committee convener Pauline McNeill says she is not sure there is agreement about what the major causes of child poverty are. 

Ms McNeill asks what measures would make the biggest difference.

Peter Allan from Dundee City Council says the biggest focus should be on stigma and Professor Andrew Russell from NHS Tayside agrees.

Robert McGregor from Fife Council says educational attainment is something which is very relevant to this.

Dr Margaret Hannah from NHS Fife says we want to make Scotland a living wage country and child benefit is important. 

"£5 per week would lift 30,000 children out of poverty per year," she says.  

• Relative poverty - the percentage of children living in households with a net incomes less than 60% of the current UK median household income
• Absolute poverty - the percentage of children living in households with net incomes of less than 60% of UK median household income in 2010/11, adjusted for inflation

Green MSP Alison Johnstone asks if there is confidence that the data is robust enough.

Professor Andrew Russell from NHS Tayside says "the focus that the Act will bring will give people the opportunity to describe the problem in a different way". 

Peter Allan from Dundee City Council says "it is not the data that is stopping us doing something about child poverty."

Mr Allan says that everyone knows what the levers are and it would be a shame if "we were waiting for a better set of statistics" to do something about it. 

Robert McGregor from Fife Council says "we need to do much more to share learning".

Robert McGregor from Fife Council says he is keen, not just to work with current partners, but to bring in other players.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson asks if the Bill will create appropriate leadership in order to promote a holistic approach. 

Mr McGregor says the Bill is limited in doing that. 

Dr Margaret Hannah from NHS Fife says there must be "a reckoning" against which performance can be measured.

Robert McGregor from Fife Council says his understanding of the Bill is that local authorities and health boards would report performance retrospectively.