Fife Gingerbread
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-08611, in the name of David Torrance, on congratulations to Fife Gingerbread. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates Fife Gingerbread following its success in securing a grant of £48,770 from the Big Lottery Young Start initiative for the Teen Parent Project in Kirkcaldy; understands that this award will ensure the continuation of its vital work with teenage parents for another year; considers that the project offers an important service for teenage parents between the ages of 16 and 19, providing advice and support where required; acknowledges that the funding will enable the project to expand and develop, and wishes the Teen Parent Project the very best going forward.
17:08
I welcome to the Parliament today Debbie Duncan, a worker from the teen parent project in Kirkcaldy, Kathryn Miller of Fife Gingerbread, and Susanne Fraser-Kerr of Barnardo’s.
As many members may be aware, my constituency has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe. I am therefore keen to raise awareness of the issue and to highlight the excellent work that is done by Fife Gingerbread through initiatives such as the teen parent project, which provides support to young lone parents and helps them to cope with many of the problems that they face daily.
Evidence shows that young teenage mothers are less likely to complete their education or to seek further educational opportunities, and that teenage mothers are less likely to be employed and more likely to be in receipt of some form of income-based benefits or employed in low-paid jobs. Consequently, poverty is a major factor in teenage parenting. Indeed, data collected demonstrates that, statistically, there is a relationship between deprivation and teenage pregnancy; it indicates that young women under the age of 16 who live in Scotland’s most deprived areas are more likely to experience teenage pregnancy than those who live in the more affluent areas.
According to the 2012 Scottish index of multiple deprivation, the most educationally deprived data zone in Fife is to be found in the intermediate zone of Kirkcaldy and comprises the areas of Hayfield and Smeaton. It is ranked 27th, which places it among the top 5 per cent of the most educationally deprived areas in Scotland. According to the index, the most health-deprived zone in Fife is in the intermediate zone of Methil East. Both those zones lie in my constituency.
It is clear that, although other factors must be considered when looking at teenage pregnancies, deprivation plays a significant role and often brings with it low self-esteem. Fife Gingerbread is to be congratulated on its co-ordinated initiatives to address the issues that teenage mothers face.
Fife Gingerbread’s teen parent project provides one-to-one support to teenage parents in conjunction with group work and peer support. The project was originally developed in response to specific issues that face young parents in the Levenmouth area. Following the success of the initial pilot in Levenmouth, the project was launched in Kirkcaldy in partnership with the YMCA and with support from NHS Fife and other voluntary sector groups.
Operationally, a dedicated teen parent liaison worker works in partnership with health and education agencies and with wider voluntary and statutory partners. The aims are to support teenage parents in establishing good parenting skills and developing support networks and to promote engagement with other services.
Partnership working includes mellow babies, which runs in partnership with Barnardo’s; mellow bumps, which works in partnership with James and Harriet from Mellow Parenting; and a project that was introduced specifically for young fathers, in partnership with the Cottage Family Centre. The first mellow bumps programme started in October 2013 with referrals from the family health midwifery team, the family nurse partnership and health visitors. The Mellow Parenting programmes are in line with Scottish Government objectives.
Figures from the teen parent project’s progress report of February 2013 show that 264 young mothers have been supported in the Levenmouth and Kirkcaldy areas, that 52 young fathers have been supported and that 292 children have benefited. Many of the clients were also referred to one or more additional services, such as Barnardo’s, the Cottage Family Centre, Home-Start and the jobcentre.
Statistics that are based on an evaluation of the Kirkcaldy teen parent project that used the Rosenberg self-esteem scale evidenced an increase in the self-esteem of teen mothers. An evaluation of the Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth teen parent project that used the Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale also evidenced an increase in the mental health and wellbeing of teen mothers. An evaluation of the Kirkcaldy teen parent project that used the tool to measure parenting self-efficacy evidenced an increase in the parenting skills and confidence of teen mothers. The excellent work that is carried out in the Kirkcaldy area was recognised in the UK’s biggest parenting competition, in which the Kirkcaldy teen parent project was named as one of the best in the east of Scotland.
The Linktown young parent group—which is based in an area of Kirkcaldy that I know well, having served as a councillor there for many years—was presented with a winner’s certificate and a gold listing at the Netmums awards. Local mums and dads praised Kirkcaldy teen parent project and called it the highlight of their week. Parents stated that what makes the group special to them is the caring staff, the great range of activities on offer for kids and the fact that it puts a smile on the face of everyone who attends.
I have been privileged to witness at first hand some of the work that is done by Fife Gingerbread and the teen parent project. I attended a Fife Gingerbread annual general meeting at which single parents highlighted the difficulties that they face daily. One speaker, who was nervous on that day, is now a project worker for Kirkcaldy teen parent project and is in the gallery this evening.
Recently, I was invited to Fife Gingerbread’s Hallowe’en party, where I was in my element in participating in the activities, including the singalong at the end, which I thoroughly enjoyed—although I am not sure that everyone else enjoyed my singing. Overall, parents and children alike had a fabulous time.
It was a delight to see how energetic and enthusiastic Debbie Duncan was in organising and participating in all that afternoon’s activities. Just before Christmas, when I was doing some last-minute shopping at Asda, I bumped into Debbie. She was shopping, but not for herself—she was looking for vegetables to enable her to make home-made soup for her group in the Linktown area, many of whom were going without in order to get presents for their children. She was ensuring that they would have something to eat on the day. That is just a small example of the commitment and dedication that she and Fife Gingerbread staff give to their projects and it shows their willingness to go the extra mile to provide the best possible services to parents and their children.
The teen parent project will aim to deliver programmes that provide specific support, while simultaneously raising awareness of issues such as welfare reform. The impact of recent welfare reforms has presented challenges to many vulnerable sectors of society, but none more so than single parents. Single parents now find themselves with even greater stress and worry as they are mandatorily transitioned from one benefit to another. They are getting increasingly more anxious and concerned about how reform will impact on their day-to-day living in providing for their children.
Fife Gingerbread is delivering an initiative entitled “Pimp my purse”; I love that title, which makes me smile every time I read it. The initiative involves holding workshops in partnership with Citizens Advice and Rights Fife and credit unions.
The Kirkcaldy project has recently been recognised for its achievements thus far and has received a substantial grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s young start initiative, which will enable Kirkcaldy teen parent project to continue to deliver highly valued services in the area.
Rhona and all her staff at Fife Gingerbread are delivering a service in my constituency that is greatly needed. It is tailored and delivered to the needs of teenage parents with an enthusiasm and passion that has had a positive and invaluable impact on all those taking part.
I wish Fife Gingerbread and its teen parent project every success in the future. I know that it will continue to make a huge difference in some of the most deprived areas of my constituency and I sincerely hope that those initiatives will be able to continue to support young teenage mums for many years to come.
17:16
I thank David Torrance for bringing the debate to the chamber. One of the reasons for my support for the debate comes from an event last January, at which I spoke on a research project between Fife Gingerbread and the Poverty Alliance. The resulting report, “Surviving Poverty—The Impact of Lone Parenthood”, demonstrated the important work that needs to be carried out in order to fully support single parents in Fife and throughout Scotland. The study showed the experience of lone parenthood in rural areas. In many cases, being a single parent can be an isolating experience, especially in rural areas.
The report highlighted how lone parents in Fife sometimes survive. Some would skip meals to feed their children; some would reduce their usage of gas and electricity, meaning that their homes were cold; and some would miss payments or turn to payday lenders.
Fife Gingerbread fully deserves the award of almost £50,000, which will help many teenage parents in the area. Teenage parents often experience circumstances and challenges that most people who intend to become parents dare not imagine. It is widely recognised that many factors play a part in teenage pregnancy, such as alcohol and inequalities in education and health. However, it must be made clear that being a teenage parent does not alone make someone a bad parent.
The Health and Sport Committee undertook an inquiry into teenage pregnancy last year and its subsequent report makes for some interesting, if not unsurprising, reading.
A major part in reducing teenage pregnancies can be played by education in relation to not just sexual health, but alcohol, drug abuse and taking risks. However, services can reach those young people only when they attend school, which, evidence shows, is often not the case. Alternative sources of education and support, such as Fife Gingerbread’s project, are to be encouraged and welcomed.
Modern media can and must play a better role in portraying women. On the subject of drinking and taking drugs, Robert Naylor from Renfrewshire Council rightly pointed to modern media’s often poor depiction of women and how some behave in relation to taking risks with substances.
On television these days there are fewer and fewer appropriate role models to demonstrate self-respect and self-esteem to young women. Many depictions of young women show an alarming lack of both of those qualities. The same argument applies in relation to the sexualisation of TV, films and music.
The teen parent project rightly seeks to identify, understand and support the needs of teenage parents and the Big Lottery funding will go a long way towards meeting any challenges ahead for the parents that it helps.
17:19
I, too, congratulate my colleague David Torrance on securing the debate and I welcome his guests to the gallery. I appreciate the opportunity to not just congratulate Fife Gingerbread on its success but highlight, here in the chamber, some of the really important work that that excellent organisation does.
As a member representing Fife and a member of the Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee, I am well aware of Fife Gingerbread’s work and of our increasing need for its services and for those of other voluntary organisations in dealing particularly with the UK Government’s welfare cuts and the misery that they have brought to some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
It is just less than a year since we participated in a debate that was secured by David Torrance to congratulate Fife Gingerbread on its 25th anniversary. Mr Torrance and Fife Gingerbread are doing very well indeed and I am very sorry that I missed seeing David Torrance’s singing prowess at the Hallowe’en party. I look forward to having the opportunity to get involved in this year’s Hallowe’en party. Perhaps a duet with my colleague beckons; maybe not.
As we have heard, Fife Gingerbread is an excellent voluntary organisation that provides practical help to lone-parent families throughout Fife. One of the key elements is that practical support and information.
It is good to see that Fife Gingerbread, having achieved its 25th anniversary last year, is not resting on its laurels. Indeed, it is forging ahead to pursue new funding avenues and to develop new projects. The Big Lottery young start funding stream provides grants from £10,000 to £50,000 for projects that create opportunities for children and young people, so in securing £48,770 Fife Gingerbread’s application did exceptionally well. All credit is due to the organisation because funding applications are not easy to manage. Getting such applications right takes up a lot of the time of workers and volunteers, so well done.
As David Torrance said, Fife Gingerbread’s work with the teen parent project in Kirkcaldy has achieved high praise. In the summer, it was named as one of the best projects in the east of Scotland in the UK’s biggest parenting competition, run by netmums.com. As a taste of the sort of thing that the project does, there was a get cooking event at which young mums were taught to create tasty and healthy meals and to improvise with their ingredients while sticking to a low budget. The mums were able to relax and enjoy that experience safe in the knowledge that their children were having fun in the crèche that was provided by Fife childcare strategy. Local mums, dads, and childcarers have praised the Kirkcaldy teen parent project, calling it
“the highlight of our week.”
Parents have also told how the group was special to them for its
“caring staff, great range of activities for kids and for putting a smile on the face of everyone who attends.”
What an accolade and compliment to all those who are involved in the hard work of providing that service. It is great that the project has secured funding and will see its work continue for another year, as well as expanding and developing that service.
I congratulate everyone who is involved with Fife Gingerbread—whether as a worker, volunteer, fundraiser or service user—on their success with the teen parent project and the other great work that it does. I look forward to watching the organisation go from strength to strength in delivering support to single parents throughout Fife.
17:23
Annabelle Ewing has just reminded us that it is less than a year since we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Fife Gingerbread. As she said, that speaks volumes about David Torrance in lodging tonight’s motion and about what Fife Gingerbread has achieved in the intervening time in successfully securing a grant from the Big Lottery young start initiative to develop further the teen parent project in Kirkcaldy.
As everyone knows from the all too stark statistics, Scotland continues to face up to the fact that it has a higher rate of teenage pregnancy than many other western European countries. Although the Scotland-wide teenage pregnancy rate among the under 20s has shown some kind of decline—that is welcome—among the under 16s there is still a concerning increase. It is therefore a positive step forward to see the very specific work that is being undertaken to look at how carefully directed support can be provided to the most vulnerable mothers and what interventions can take place to support our youngest families.
The teen parent project, as David Torrance set out, has shown its positive value from its pilot days in Levenmouth in 2009 right up to the launch of the much more sizeable project in Kirkcaldy in partnership with the YWCA.
I note from the updated briefing document that Fife Gingerbread provided to MSPs that somewhere in the region of 340 parents have received support through one-to-one work, with targeted work focusing on increasing access to other services as well as on developing parental skills, confidence and self-esteem. Fife Gingerbread estimates that the project has had a very positive impact on well over 300 children.
The project outcomes are to be warmly welcomed and it is good to see that as a result of the projects, 96 per cent of referrals resulted in the family accessing further support for children—as well as the focus on helping to improve levels of physical, intellectual, emotional and social development in children.
Early intervention is something that we have discussed at great length in this place—indeed, the deliberations of this morning’s Education and Culture Committee are evidence of the extensive focus on these issues—and although members might come at some of the issues from slightly different angles, there is general agreement around the chamber about just how important that focus is. That is another reason why I would like to add my congratulations to Fife Gingerbread.
Family nurses visit expectant mothers and it is obviously important that those visits are very regular. Family nurses have a great deal to contribute to not only the child’s development and care but many of the preventative measures that we expect, as well as helping with the development of parenting skills and with better diet, education and employment in later years.
That programme aims to enable young, first-time mothers to develop their confidence in all those areas, in particular with regard to the parenting angle, and again, although we have slight differences of opinion across the chamber, I think that everybody accepts that there is general cross-party agreement on the importance of that.
As regards the issue of young mothers, often children themselves, accessing services, I know that Fife Gingerbread has become rather specialist in the facility that it provides. An awful lot of the other groups around the county can not only gain the confidence to do something similar to that facility but see the real and lasting benefits that Fife Gingerbread has managed to achieve.
The minister is, I am sure, very sympathetic to this cause and I hope that in closing she will be able to outline some of the things that the Scottish Government has taken on board from the recent report and how we can push that agenda forward.
I add my very strong congratulations to the group and to David Torrance.
17:28
I, too, congratulate David Torrance on bringing the debate to the chamber and on highlighting the continuing work of Fife Gingerbread, which works so hard to provide invaluable support to lone parents across Fife. I welcome representatives of Fife Gingerbread to the public gallery and thank the Big Lottery for its contribution to this little matter.
Fife Gingerbread provides accessible, approachable and non-judgmental support, advice and information to lone parents—parents of all ages and from all backgrounds and all walks of life. There are times when individuals feel that they are alone and that no one else can understand their situation, but Fife Gingerbread is there for them. It is a vital organisation for lone parents in Fife, and the level of support that it offers could not be achieved without the hard work of both its staff and its volunteers.
Fife Gingerbread has long been known for its work with lone parents, but it recognises that some of the difficulties that are faced by teenage parents are unique and that being a young parent is very different from becoming a parent in one’s 20s or 30s. Its teen parent project offers support to young parents aged from 16 to 19, whether they are male or female, in a relationship or single. The project can also be accessed by young pregnant women between the ages of 16 and 19.
The Big Lottery Fund grant will help Fife Gingerbread with that project in central Fife. I hope that the project will build on the excellent work that it has already undertaken in Levenmouth, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes, which has filled in the gap in support that is often created when young parents leave school.
It is fantastic that, to date, Fife Gingerbread has been able to help 341 parents through one-to-one and group work. That positive work, which focuses on increasing access to other services and developing skills, has also benefited 316 children to date. It operates by working with other organisations in the community to support teenage parents in establishing good parenting skills, developing group and peer support networks and engaging with other services.
Link workers help the young parent through one-to-one support and home visits. They help with advocacy and representation, assist with antenatal and postnatal care, promote health services for the parent and the child and signpost support agencies where relevant. They also assist with debt and housing issues, relationship counselling and parenting and play, through group work and creating peer support. Importantly, they help with confidence building and skills improvement. It is a very big agenda indeed.
It is clear, particularly from the case study of Katie in the briefing provided by Fife Gingerbread, that the project’s support is invaluable to those who use it. Katie, who was first referred to the project by her midwife, went from being a young woman who had been taken advantage of by others to becoming a young mother who was able to stand up for both herself and her son.
The teen parent project aims to make a positive difference in the lives of young parents and their children by ensuring that young parents are engaged with other services, which will benefit their own and their children’s health and wellbeing, as well as improve levels of physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. The project has already helped young parents to increase their confidence and self-esteem, as well as improve their parenting and self-advocacy skills.
Like others, I wish Fife Gingerbread the very best for the future and commend its staff and volunteers for all their hard work. I hope that the debate helps to raise the profile of its work and helps young parents further. I thank David Torrance once again for bringing to the chamber a debate on a topic that affects many families throughout Scotland.
17:32
I am pleased to speak in this debate on Fife Gingerbread’s teen parent project, which is based in Kirkcaldy. I welcome the guests to the gallery and thank David Torrance for securing the time to have the debate.
Fife Gingerbread is a great organisation that runs a number of projects and services for families across Fife. Established as an association for one-parent families, it has worked in Fife since 1987, and during that time it has gone from strength to strength. A positive, down-to-earth group of people work for the organisation and always make people feel welcome if they visit any of their projects.
Fife Gingerbread co-ordinates a number of projects including Dads Rock and the new pimp my purse project, which David Torrance is very keen on, and it is a keen partner in the Levenmouth gateway project, the official launch of which I was delighted to attend last year. Fife has a good record of positive partnership working and Fife Gingerbread is often found at the heart of that.
This evening the focus is on Fife Gingerbread’s excellent teen parent project, which is running in Kirkcaldy. I congratulate it on securing almost £50,000 from the Big Lottery young start initiative, which will support the project for a further year. The award of that money is a credit to Fife Gingerbread’s hard work and dedication and the positive results that it is getting from that work.
Before I became an MSP I worked for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and I know from the experience of its members how much work and time has to go into funding applications, as well as the level of detail that often is required. Although the one-year funding is very welcome, it will not be long before the teen parent project has to start to look for the money for next year. We need to ensure that funding for the voluntary sector supports the sustainability of projects and that the maximum amount of an organisation’s time is spent on delivery and not just on securing its financial future. However, the Big Lottery’s support provides stability for another year, which is very much to be welcomed.
We know that Scotland has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in western Europe and that Fife’s rates are higher than those in the rest of Scotland. As Mary Fee and others have described, the reasons for teenage pregnancy are complex and often unique to each individual. Appropriate sexual health education and access to services are important for every generation, not just teenagers, but services can be variable for young people, depending on where they live or which school they go to.
I took part in a schools panel debate in Kirkcaldy last year, and the teenagers in the hall were very positive about the new services that were being offered in their schools. It is important that young people have choices and that their decisions are informed. We should not ignore the fact that some young couples make a positive decision to start a family young. However, like those from any other age group who start a family, they should have access to appropriate support and advice when needed.
Being a teen parent can be challenging. Young parents might face changes in their relationship or finances, and there is the possibility of disruption to their education, whether that is at school, college or university. They might have to review their accommodation options. The younger someone is, the more likely they are to have fewer available resources. Also, there are the additional financial pressures that anybody experiences in starting a family.
Of course, having a new baby is a wonderful thing and teen parents should be supported to be able to enjoy that experience and give the baby a good start in life. The teen parent project provides good advice and support for young parents on a range of issues. It recently supported the open me campaign, on the importance of opening intimidating-looking mail. The teen parent project provides a positive, welcoming and inclusive forum for support.
Before the debate, I looked at Fife Gingerbread’s submission to the Health and Sport Committee’s inquiry into teenage pregnancy. The comments of young mums on the project sum up why it is so valuable and deserving of support. The young mums said that they would only go to groups that were appropriate for their age and designed for their age group. They said:
“The groups are the best. Just being able to get out the house and away from your partner. Seeing other young parents and getting to talk to them and let the children play.”
I give the project all the best wishes for the future and I am pleased to recognise its good work.
17:36
As this is the first debate that I have been involved in this year, I wish everyone a happy new year. I also thank David Torrance for bringing the debate to the chamber and congratulate him on doing so. Like Liz Smith, I remember his celebration debate that welcomed 25 years of Fife Gingerbread. I thank the other members who have shown their support for this excellent organisation. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the families who are supported by Fife Gingerbread when I launched its gateway project back in May 2013. I am delighted that the organisation is extending its reach even further and is developing its innovative approach. I congratulate the group on its award.
Our aspiration is to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up in and to make Scotland a fairer country for all children to thrive in. We want a child-friendly country that possesses a culture that is supportive of all parents and carers and that values their crucial and important role. Fife Gingerbread is helping us to achieve that vision. I think that everyone agrees that families need to feel supported, not only by our public services but by their families and communities. Organisations such as Gingerbread play a crucial role in supporting our parents, carers and families right across Scotland.
As I have said, I have heard about and seen at first hand the good work that Fife Gingerbread is doing. I remain impressed by the passion and dedication of Fife Gingerbread’s team. David Torrance described how they go above and beyond to help the families they work with. The quotes that Annabelle Ewing gave about the caring staff, the great activities that go on and the teen parent project being the highlight of the week speak volumes about the high regard in which the project and Fife Gingerbread are held.
Liz Smith, Rod Campbell and Claire Baker rightly praised the group. They talked about the help that it has provided to the 340 families who have received the one-to-one service and the important preventative work that the talented Gingerbread staff do. Claire Baker also referred to the fact that the teen project is an age-appropriate group. I know from speaking to many teenage parents that they sometimes feel intimidated about going to groups, so it is great that Gingerbread has an age-appropriate group where people can get the support that they need. The fact that so many Fife politicians have talked passionately about the project shows how important it is right across the region.
I welcome the investment in the teen parent project by the Big Lottery Fund. Claire Baker and others have noted how big an achievement that award has been. Although parenting can be a wonderful life-enhancing experience for many young people, it can be a real struggle for others. As the mother of a very lively wee three-year-old who had his first day at nursery school today, I know that being a parent is a great privilege but can also be a real challenge.
The Government recognises without question the importance of ensuring that parents, whatever their age, feel empowered, valued, supported and confident in their ability to care for their children. That is why, in October 2012, we published the national parenting strategy, with more than 80 commitments to strengthen, help and support parents throughout Scotland. We want parents, carers and families to know that, whatever their needs and wherever they live, practical support is available.
That parenting strategy was backed up with £18 million-worth of investment to better co-ordinate information and access to advice and support wherever they are needed. Good parenting is every child’s right and every parent’s responsibility. We want to embed those rights and responsibilities in everyday life.
All parents and carers can feel vulnerable and unsure at times, but our teenage parents, who sometimes lack the confidence to seek support, often feel that vulnerability most. Sometimes, those feelings of uncertainty can be resolved easily by good advice. However, for others, the challenges are more complex and longer term.
Either way, we want to support all parents, families and communities to build better lives for themselves and their children to ensure that every child has the best start in life. That is why our parenting strategy is important, as is investment in family support.
The Fife Gingerbread teen parent project shares the same goals as us. Its work focuses on giving teenage mothers and fathers the support that they need to establish their parenting skills, and it works closely with other services that are already available within communities to complement and promote their use. Such informal but personal support is one of the things that teen parents need most in their lives and it can really help them to adjust to their new roles.
David Torrance spoke about how the project works in collaboration with the other services that I mentioned and across the third sector. That collaborative work is paying dividends for families throughout Fife. However, unfortunately, many young mums and dads face additional stresses and strains in their lives. David Torrance and Mary Fee described poverty, deprivation and the low self-esteem that it is necessary for us to try to tackle. Annabelle Ewing described the impact of welfare reform.
Stigma, isolation and the lack of age-appropriate information have the potential to disenfranchise many teenage parents. Projects such as the Fife Gingerbread teen parent project ensure that they are not left alone to face the challenges of caring for their children and help them to be the best that they can be. I am pleased to hear from David Torrance about the evaluation of the project, which has enhanced the ability of parents to parent well.
The project will also complement the good work of the family nurse partnerships in Fife. I have also visited those partnerships and heard about the benefits that they are providing for new young parents. I very much welcome the recent announcement from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Alex Neil, that that programme will be rolled out across Scotland to help many more young parents who need a bit of support and advice.
In addition to that support for families, our vision for childcare is ambitious. It includes the expansion of childcare to a minimum of 600 flexible hours a year for all three and four-year-olds and for two-year-olds who are looked after or are under a kinship care order. Those proposals are set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill that Liz Smith rightly points out is going through stage 2.
I am also delighted that the debate follows the one in which the First Minister announced a further expansion in childcare provision for our most vulnerable two-year-olds. Coupled with the proposals that are already in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill, that means that we will provide childcare for around 15 per cent of two-year-olds from 2014 and 27 per cent from 2015.
We are also committed to extending the offer of 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare further in the long term. As we set out in “Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland”, we plan to provide 1,140 hours to all children from age one to starting school. That is our commitment to build a high-quality, universal system for all children.
All those commitments will build on the legacy that we have and the good work to help to support families that our partners throughout Scotland, including Fife Gingerbread, are already doing to help us to move towards making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up in.
I thank David Torrance and others who have contributed to tonight’s debate. I am only sorry that he did not manage to sing tonight, although he has the offer of a duet and I look forward to any YouTube evidence that might come from that.
I wish Fife Gingerbread teen parent project all the very best for the future and thank David Torrance again for raising the matter in the Parliament.
Meeting closed at 17:44.