Offering a helping hand with box

This week sees the eighth year of the implementation of the baby box for new parents.

- BY PAISLEY MSP GEORGE ADAM

It is a strong statement about the country we want to be. At the very first stage of life, parents are presented with the box, and goods that are useful for a newborn at the busiest stages in a parent's life.

The necessities offered in the box are worth around £400 at a time when additional costs are something that new parents face.

The next year will see an investment of around £8 million to ensure the universal distribution for new parents, something that is only available in Scotland at this time.

It is yet another wee lesson that other nations on these isles may want to have a look at.