motion_title: Cost of Living
motion_text: The result of the division on motion S6M-06438, in the name of Daniel Johnson, on the cost of living, as amended, is: For 60, Against 52, Abstentions 0.
  Motion, as amended, agreed to,
  That the Parliament notes that inflation again reached 10.1% in September 2022, driven by rising food prices and energy bills; condemns the mini-budget set out by the UK Government, and recognises that the cost of living pressures that households are facing will be exacerbated by the economic damage it caused alongside the disastrous economic impact of leaving the European Union, which is being felt by Scotland’s economy, businesses and households; recognises that, as a result of increasing inflation, the Scottish budget is worth £1.7 billion less than when it was set in December 2021; welcomes the financial support that the Scottish Government has provided from within its fixed and limited budget to help people facing the impact of the cost of living crisis, including direct cash support, with almost £3 billion allocated to support households, £1 billion of which is support only available in Scotland; recognises that this includes the unique £20 per week per child Scottish Child Payment, which will increase to £25 on 14 November 2022, when it is also extended to under 16s, and £44 million for the Carer’s Allowance Supplement; acknowledges further support with the planned doubling of the December Bridging Payment to £260, supporting up to 145,000 school-aged children; notes the additional costs that the Scottish Government has funded in relation to public sector pay; expresses concern at the prospect of a fresh round of UK Government austerity; believes that the priority for every government must be preventing further instability and addressing the cost of living; calls on the UK Government to use its fiscal statement on 31 October to rule out a return to austerity, further help people with soaring energy bills, reinstate the pension triple lock, confirm an inflationary rise in social security benefits in 2022-23 and provide the Scottish Government with an inflationary uplift to the 2022-23 budget to enable the Scottish Government to take further steps to support people with the cost of living; believes that a strengthened windfall tax should be an important source of funding for this support, rather than borrowing and public spending cuts, and understands that the Scottish Government will finalise and publish the outcome of the Emergency Budget Review once consideration has been given to the implications of the UK Government’s fiscal statement and updated Office of Budget Responsibility’s forecasts.