A report by Save the Children finds that more than 90,000 children in Scotland live in "severe poverty". The report, Living Below the Radar, classifies just under 10% of the country's one million youngsters as living in its worst poverty bracket; which includes children aged 15 or under living with two parents who bring home less than £7,000 a year after paying for housing costs. Prepared using annual government figures analysing family resources, the findings suggest that around 20% of the under privileged youngsters cannot afford to celebrate occasions like Christmas or birthdays. Jane Gibreel, Save the Children's programme director for Scotland, said the poverty figures are an outrage, and called for the government to invest more in poor communities. She said: "We can't let these children slip below the radar. They're the children who are hardest to reach, need the most help and the greatest investment to lift them out of poverty."

Read the Full Report http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sc...

The National Minimum Wage as stands comes across as really unfair for those who are under the age of 22 and in fulltime employment. Most of these people are doing the EXACT same job as those workers who are older than them at their place of employment. This is going to be one of my main aims during my elected term to have changed.

What are the current rates of the national minimum wage?
There are three levels of minimum wage, and the rates from 1st October 2006 are:

£5.35 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
A development rate of £4.45 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
£3.30 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age.

FAIR!?
I think not.

I am the current MSYP for the Motherwell and Wishaw area, however I feel that my skills which are already established in the Scottish Youth Parliament could benefit the young people of Coatbridge & Chryston more effectively. If I am elected I will tackle several different youth issues which I know through youth consultation young people feel they want changed.

Consultation & Informing
I will hold regular surgeries in schools, youth groups and community centres in the Coatbridge & Chryston constituency to allow the young people who live there to have their opinions heard, taken on board and dealt with.
Suggestion/Query/Question Boxes will be sent out to all schools, which will allow young people in schools to be able to put forward their suggestions, queries and questions to myself.
I will set up a website in order to inform the young people of the area what’s happening where they live, different things they themselves can take part in as well as keeping them up to date with what I’m doing to improve their area’s.

Youth Facilities & Workers
Improve the youth facilities which are already in place as well as apply for funding to create new ones.
Work with the Local Council to ensure Youth Workers are funded for their work to enable greater opportunities for young people.

Leisure
Cheap access to leisure facilities for all in education.

In Schools
Make sure effective and listened to pupil councils are in place.
Introduce an effective system of Personal, Social and Sexual Education.
EMA bursaries tested on pupils incomes, not parents.

Employment
Ensure more apprenticeships are available for young people.
Equal Minimum Wage.

Health
Reduced prices of prescriptions for all students under the age of 26 in education.
Promote Healthy Living.

The Environment
Encourage more active recycling by offering rewards.
Clean up local parks and places for youths.

The Community
Put in place effective programs to tackle gang crime (e.g. “Breaking down Barriers”)
Raise awareness and reduce levels of Bullying
Reduce voting age to 16.