The SNP today called for the Scottish Parliament to have greater economic and financial responsibility to properly tackle poverty in Scotland.

Responding to the latest index of multiple deprivation which shows the impact Labour's recession has had on communities SNP MSP Bob Doris said the results were part of Labour's poverty legacy and backed up a recent study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that most of the levers to tackle poverty were out of Scotland's hands.

The Rowntree report stated that while the Scottish Government had taken action: "Most of the subjects where there are gaps in the Scottish Government's anti-poverty programme are to do with matters over which it has little direct control. Obviously this includes the UK Government's tax and benefit system. But it also includes employment practices and the provision of essential services which are in the hands of private and public sector  bodies."

Glasgow MSP Bob Doris said: "These figures are Labour's legacy.  Decades of Labour control did nothing to tackle Scotland's problem with poverty and now Labour's recession has hit the progress being made under the SNP.

"With a new Tory and Lib Dem government topping up Labour's cuts and slashing spending too far and too fast the importance of transferring responsibility for Scotland's economy and support for those who are struggling to the Scottish Parliament has never been higher.

"The only alternative to a decade of dismal cuts - and a possible deepening of poverty levels in Scotland - is for a Scottish Parliament with full economic responsibility to invest in the kind of growth, economic regeneration and support that will bring benefits to all our communities.

"In government the SNP is taking what action we can with benefits checks, a council tax freeze, new affordable housing, investment in insulation, increasing free school meals, smaller class sizes and real investment in jobs and training with 20,000 apprenticeship places.

"With Westminster cuts coming alongside welfare reforms that risk pushing people further into poverty Scotland must have the powers to tackle her own problems.

"Decades of Westminster control has done absolutely nothing to tackle poverty in Scotland. It is time for a different approach and that means transferring all the levers to tackle poverty from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament so we can properly address the problems of poverty and deprivation that we all have a duty to tackle."