Ferguslie Park is Scotland's most-deprived area, report says
Ferguslie Park in Paisley has been classed as Scotland's most-deprived area, according to official figures.
Ferguslie Park in Paisley has been classed as Scotland's most-deprived area, according to official figures.
The latest Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) ranked it as the worst out of almost 7,000 small "data zones" - with the least-deprived area just over eight miles away in neighbouring East Renfrewshire.
Lower Whitecraigs and South Giffnock was regarded as the least-deprived part of the country by the statistics, which take into account a range of factors such as income and access to health and education.
Statisticians divided Scotland into 6,976 data zones of roughly equal population for the research, which was last published in 2012.
Ferguslie Park was also named as the most-deprived area four years ago, with the new report highlighting it as one of a number of areas of "deep-rooted deprivation" which have been "consistently among the 5% most deprived in Scotland" since 2004.
Several parts of Glasgow featured in this group, including Parkhead West and Barrowfield, Barlanark, Central Easterhouse, Dalmarnock, Govan and Linthouse, Keppochil and Wyndford.
Persistent deprivation was also found in Greenock, the Merkinch area of Inverness, Whitefield in Dundee, the Raploch area of Stirling, Altonhill in East Ayrshire and the Craigneuk area of Wishaw.
Renfrewshire Council, which includes the Ferguslie Park area, stressed it has fewer areas in the most-deprived 20% than it did in 2012.
Council leader Mark Macmillan said: "The council has adopted an innovative approach to tackling poverty, recognised as leading the way in Scotland - and the SIMD statistics are based on data from last year which does not fully capture the impact of that.
"Last year our Tackling Poverty Commission provided a detailed study of the root causes of deprivation and was the first of its kind in Scotland to look at child poverty on a local level.
"We backed that up with a two-year £6 million Tackling Poverty programme - with 50 projects covering education, health, digital and cultural participation, employability and income advice.
"It's also worth saying Ferguslie itself has a strong sense of community - a recent survey showed 47% of people rated it as a very good place to live."
Communities Secretary Angela Constance said SIMD research is important "because it clearly sets out where the most deprived areas in Scotland are, so we can ensure public funding, policies and services can be targeted most effectively".
She added: "While changes in methodology mean it's not possible to compare directly with previous years, SIMD is always a good reminder of why Scotland needs a government committed to tackling deep-seated deprivation, poverty and inequalities.
"This will not be an easy job while we do not have the full levers of power, but I am determined we take on the challenge of making a generational change for those areas that have been in poverty for too long.
"In the face of continuing UK Government welfare cuts, an austerity agenda and attempts to take Scotland out of Europe, this will continue to be a long-term challenge.
"We are spending £100 million protecting people against the worst effects of welfare reform and every pound spent on mitigation measures is a pound less that can be spent on lifting people out of poverty."
Citizens Advice Scotland spokesman Patrick Hogan said: "Research like this helps to build a picture of which people are most in need and where we need to target help.
"However, it's important to remember that measuring deprivation is a complex process. Not everyone who lives in a deprived area is in fact deprived, and not everyone who is deprived lives in a deprived area.
"The important thing is to make sure that help is available for all those who are struggling, regardless of where they live.
"There is a role here for governments at all levels, and also for community groups and the voluntary sector.
"The CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) service is always on hand to give free, expert advice to anyone who is in financial difficulty."
Both Labour and the Tories accused the Scottish Government of delaying the publication of the figures until after May's Holyrood elections.
Labour communities spokesman Alex Rowley said: "These new figures are long overdue - they should have been published in 2015 but instead where pushed back until after the Scottish Parliament election.
"If we are serious about cutting the gap between the richest and the rest, we need to fully understand the picture of poverty in Scotland.
"These numbers are an important start - and they show a Scotland which remains too unequal and further SNP cuts will only make it worse."
Tory equalities spokeswoman Annie Wells said: "It is now clear why the SNP delayed this report until after May's Holyrood election.
"There are many causes of deprivation - poverty, family breakdown, drug and alcohol abuse, low educational standards and poor health, and we now need a new approach.
"The latest figures should be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government. We need to see a closer working partnership with the public and voluntary sectors to tackle these deep-rooted problems head on."
Green MSP Alison Johnstone said: "If we're to boost incomes, employment chances and health, we need to see greater ambition from Scottish ministers and local authorities.
"Yes, the Westminster government's continuing agenda of cuts plays a part, but we cannot let that stop us."
Scottish Liberal Democrat social security spokeswoman Caron Lindsay said: "These figures show the challenge that we face in tackling ingrained poverty in communities across Scotland.
"The hard fact is that places that were recorded as amongst the most deprived areas in Scotland in 2009 and 2012 are still at the top of the list today.
"There is no silver bullet that will let us tackle inter-generational poverty but education is vital to ensuring that children born in the most deprived have the best chance to get on in life."