THE Scottish government must “think about its moral responsibility” and take action to tackle poverty, Labour demanded today.

During a fiery session of First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called for “deeds not words.”

Mr Leonard said: “While the government has been delaying the income supplement, child poverty in Scotland has continued to rise.

“Only yesterday a child poverty action group report produced by the IPPR [think tank] concluded that the greatest reduction in poverty, relative to cost, of any single option is achieved by addressing the two-child cap.

“When will the government at long last think about its moral responsibility? When will you finally use your powers to protect families in Scotland from the two-child cap?”

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, standing in for Nicola Sturgeon as she attended D-Day commemorations, said Mr Leonard’s suggestion that the government was letting families “suffer” was “an appalling accusation” and listed various schemes introduced to tackle poverty.

He said: “The government is determined to do all it possibly can do to support individuals who live a life in poverty and to help them to work their way out that life of poverty, with active support from the Scottish government.

“We will do more, we are determined to do more, but we have to recognise we are doing that against a whole series of pressures that come towards us arising out of welfare reform and the decisions taken by the UK government that are deeply damaging to the lives of individuals within Scotland.”

On the issue of the income supplement, Mr Swinney said the government would report to the parliament by the end of June with what, if any, action it would take.