Chamber and committees

Yes, absolutely—we recognise how vital early learning and childcare is, especially in rural and island areas. I am not sure whether the member is aware of the Scottish Government’s support for the Scottish Childminding Association’s childminder recruitment and retention programme, which is available in nearly all areas of Scotland. That work has been ongoing as we progress the expansion of childcare, but I am happy to meet the member if he has any concerns about that, now and in the future.

We have also heard that families need childcare support for a much wider range of ages and that the cost of living challenge has further raised the barriers that are presented by high childcare costs for families, pushing some families out of the labour market or forcing working parents to reduce their hours or change their working patterns.

We can deliver on our ambitious plans to expand childcare only through our hard-working, dedicated childcare sector, so I put on record my thanks to those who are delivering our childcare services across the public, private and third and childminding sectors. The cabinet secretary and I hope to meet sector representatives soon to hear their views on our ambitious plans to expand childcare to benefit families, children and the economy.

In 2026-27, we are making £13.4 million available to enable childcare staff who deliver ELC funded hours in private and third sector providers to continue to be paid at least the real living wage. That is on top of the additional £25.7 million in recurring funding that we have delivered to support previous increases.

We remain committed to growing the childminding profession, in order that more families have access to the unique and flexible experience of childcare that childminders can offer. We have made more than £4 million in funding available to the Scottish Childminding Association to enable it to deliver a national three-year programme of childminder recruitment and retention, which is now available in 31 local authority areas.

I recognise those members who made their first contributions in the debate: Katherine Sangster, Angela Ross, Calum Kerr, David Smith, Q Manivannan, Laura Mitchell, Yi-pei Chou Turvey, Holly Bruce and Amanda Lindsay. I look forward to working with them during the parliamentary term.

Turning to members’ contributions, Maggie Chapman and Holly Bruce touched on the issues raised in the Greens’ amendment, and the cabinet secretary has confirmed that we will support it. We look forward to early discussions with the Greens and COSLA to look at the operational implications of the amendment in the context of the wider reform and expansion of childcare.

I welcome Meghan Gallacher’s view that this is a new start and that there are opportunities to work together. She brought up the restrictions in the current model. As we move forward, we need to have more flexibility, so I cannot see how the current model can continue. We are doing that ongoing work.

We have already done significant work on that. I will come to it later in my speech.

Willie Rennie also mentioned the points that Meghan Gallacher raised and noted the importance of childminders. I reiterate what I said about the ongoing work that the Scottish Government is doing with the SCMA to deliver a three-year programme of childminder recruitment. I agree with Mr Rennie about Mr Dunlop’s contribution yesterday. Clearly, he is passionate about delivering the Promise, and I am sure that there will be lots of discussions on that moving forward.

Claire Baker raised some concerns about what support is being put in place. I am not sure whether she is aware of the early adopter community programme that the Scottish Government is rolling out. In our early adopter communities, we are expanding access to childcare activities and to the wider support that she mentioned in order to tackle poverty and improve outcomes for families. I am happy to send further information on that programme to the member if that would be helpful.

I thank Clare Haughey for all her work in her ministerial capacity. She played an integral part in the initial implementation of the expansion of the 1,140 hours delivery in August 2021.

If I may, I will touch on a few other things. The cross-boundary issue has been raised by several members. We are committed to parents and carers accessing their children’s ELC funding at a provider of their choice in the public, private and third or childminding sector. Statutory guidance is clear that, wherever possible, families who access cross-boundary placements should be treated on the same basis as families who access provision locally. I want families across Scotland to benefit from the ambitions that have been set out jointly with our local government partners in our funding follows the child approach. It has been concerning to hear of local decisions that are reported to have reduced flexibility and choice, as well as provider sustainability. We will consider recent developments on the issue in partnership with COSLA.

The issue of funding for the PVI sector has been raised. As the cabinet secretary mentioned earlier, the Diffley report was published in March, and it is important that we take time to reflect on its findings with the sector and local government. As I said at the beginning of my speech, we are providing £13.4 million in support to local authorities to enable them to set sustainable rates for staff in the private and third sector.

A few members asked how this will all be funded. We are facing one of the most challenging fiscal environments in recent years. The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform, along with the Deputy First Minister, will oversee our collective response to ensuring that funding is prioritised in areas in which it will have the most impact.

However, we are clear about the importance of expanding childcare, as has been set out in the debate, and its potential impact on economic growth. We will prioritise funding in our budgets to ensure that the expansion can be delivered, and we are committed to reprioritising an additional £500 million. The Government will have to contend with difficult decisions, given the exceptionally challenging fiscal context, but, as has been evidenced today, the Parliament is in agreement that we must find ways of improving our offer to families. I look forward to working with colleagues on those important issues.

The approach that we will take will reflect the needs of communities across the country. It will reduce inequalities, which often determine who can and cannot work and the sort of roles that they can do. It will recognise the challenge that parents—predominantly women—across the country face every day in balancing the demands of childcare and work. It will also help to grow the economy by supporting families to work the hours that they want to work. Investing in and expanding childcare will benefit everyone in Scotland.

I thank the member for the intervention. I personally feel that what she refers to was not a very well-balanced reflection in this debate on childcare.

It is clear that the Parliament is open to finding the right mix of early learning that is needed to support children’s development in the early years and a further expansion in childcare that supports parents’ ability to take up or sustain employment. The existing early learning and childcare programme is delivering much-needed support, backed by significant investment, but it is now time to deliver year-round support and to provide increased support for varying working patterns. We will also improve the availability of services in some areas, particularly remote and rural locations, and will keep improving the accessibility services for children with disabilities and additional support needs.

I thank all members for their contributions, and I recognise that many of us are working parents who rely on childcare. As a working mum myself, I have been juggling childcare for more than 20 years—my youngest is only 10 years old—and I can tell members that, during that time, we have come a long way. Twenty years ago, I had to return to work after nine months—that was just something that I had to do, as it was not financially viable for me to stay at home.

Today’s debate provides a strong foundation for consensus.

I, Siobhian Brown, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.