​Around 300 firms pay living wage rate, new figures show.

New figures show almost 135,000 people are now employed by firms paying the Scottish living wage.

About 300 companies are already signed up to the scheme, with the Scottish Government aiming for 500 by March 2016.

The latest big name to sign up was Caledonian McBrayne (CalMac), the ferry operator, which employs more than 1,300 staff.

Set up in April last year, the initiative aims to encourage companies to pay workers a minimum of £7.87 per hour.

Figures from the Poverty Alliance show that 134,908 people across the UK now work for living wage-accredited firms based in Scotland.

The charity says more than half of children in poverty in Scotland live in a household where someone works, making the living wage a crucial factor.

I would encourage businesses across Scotland to explore the considerable benefits of living wage accreditation

Publication of the figures came in response to a written question to the Scottish Parliament by SNP MSP Mark McDonald.

He said: “The Poverty Alliance, which runs the accreditation scheme with Scottish Government funding, and Scotland’s businesses, should be commended for this fantastic achievement.

“But there must be no let-up in the hard work. We want Scotland to be the best place to do business in the UK and by expanding living wage accreditation we can also have the businesses with the best reputation in the UK.

“Signing up to the living wage isn’t just the right thing to do – it can help businesses attract and keep the best staff, leading to increases in their productivity.

“I would encourage businesses across Scotland to explore the considerable benefits of living wage accreditation and sign up.”