SCOTTISH Labour has outlined 12 policy priorities to tackle child poverty in a new report.

The plan – which includes expanding affordable childcare – will be sent to the Scottish and UK governments with an offer to work together on its implementation.

Labour wants children being brought up in poverty to receive extra help with reading and writing at school.

Other policy priorities include "tackling fuel poverty aggressively" by improving insulation, promoting credit unions and extending the living wage. Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "We know efforts to tackle child poverty have stalled under the SNP and the cuts from the Tory Government threaten to make things worse.

"We should all agree this is too important to be left until after the referendum, and work together to make a difference.

"We have set out the key areas that need to be tackled to make progress. We will send copies of our findings to Michael Moore and Nicola Sturgeon with a pledge to work with them to achieve social justice."

The report was compiled by Scottish Labour's child poverty "sounding board", a panel of experts chaired by the Rev Ewan Aitken, secretary of the Kirk's church and society committee and a former leader of Edinburgh council.

It was commissioned by Johann Lamont at last year's Labour conference.

Ms Baillie's call to work with the Scottish and UK governments comes after Ms Lamont called on Alex Salmond to re-open the Scottish Government's budget in a bid to find £100 million to ensure all two-year-olds receive 600 hours per year of free nursery care.