A/HRC/41/39/Add.3 Privatization policies: Recommendation K 53. Privatisation has helped transform our railways. Since privatisation in 1994 passenger journeys have doubled, and 2006 we have seen new private investment totalling £8.3bn. There are now over 1.6 million more train services, an increase of nearly 30% since 1997, and over 72 new stations built since 1995. 54. The Transforming Cities Fund was launched at Autumn Budget 17 to improve public transport, boost connectivity and reduce congestion through packages of interlinked schemes. The fund was increased to £2.5bn in the 2018 Budget. 55. We have one of the highest satisfaction levels, and safest networks in Europe. There will be 7,000 new carriages introduced on the rail network between now and 2021, enabled through privatisation. Northern Ireland 56. The legacy of the conflict means many social housing estates are predominantly single identity: the two main religious communities are not necessarily seeking allocation to the same social housing properties. The interaction between housing supply, demand and individual preferences may cause different waiting times between communities. 57. Social housing need is principally met through re-let of existing social housing accommodation. The Social Housing Delivery Programme delivers new build social housing, targeting areas of greatest need, subject to budget and land availability. 58. The Housing Selection Scheme allocates social housing using common criteria to assess applicants’ housing needs. Applicants are then placed on the waiting list for their chosen area. The time taken to allocate a property depends on their waiting list position, preferred area, and type of property required. Scotland 59. Scotland’s National Performance Framework monitors progress on National Outcomes, including human rights and poverty. 60. The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 introduces four official child poverty measures which are focused on eradicating child poverty in Scotland. 61. The Scottish Government has increased the value of the school clothing grant, introduced the Best Start Grant, invested in intensive employment support for parents, and is developing a new income supplement. 62. Since 2016, the Scottish Health Survey has measured household food insecurity. Additional measures to tackle poverty in Scotland include the Scottish Welfare Fund, a Fair Food Fund, access to free sanitary products, £63m in Discretionary Housing Payments, and over £3bn to deliver 50,000 affordable homes (35,000 for social rent) by 2021. 63. The legislation establishing Scotland’s devolved social security system explicitly recognises social security as a human right. A Social Security Charter has been developed in collaboration with individuals who have direct personal experience of using existing systems. The Scottish Government has published the ‘Older People’s Framework’, action plans on employment for disabled people, and on the gender pay gap. Wales 64. The First Minister for Wales has asked the Wales Centre for Public Policy to undertake an exploration of the devolved administration of certain aspects of the benefit system, including the flexible payment options available to Scottish UC claimants. 7