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Meeting of the Parliament 15 March 2012

15 Mar 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Childcare

Park, John Lab Mid Scotland and Fife Watch on SPTV

Today’s debate is timely. We have spent a lot of time talking about the impact on families, but I believe that the debate is clearly about the economy: it is about the impact of the lack of flexible working and of childcare opportunities on families’ ability to engage economically. I think that all of us here in the Scottish Parliament aspire to see families do that.

In the past couple of weeks, we have had debates on the living wage and on in-work poverty, and in almost every contribution in those debates affordable childcare, flexible working or high-quality employment came to the fore. The debate today is one of many that we need to have about the type of work and employment opportunities that we want, so that our young people and their families are given the best possible chances.

I declare an interest as someone who has been a working parent, and I remember some of the real challenges that I faced. When my first daughter was born I was not able to drive, which is an indication of how many times I have failed my driving test rather than how young I was at that time. Finding suitable childcare when I had a very rigid working pattern was a real issue. I know that that is a challenge that a number of people face, particularly those who are in blue-collar employment who go into the workplace at a set time and are expected to perform until a set time while trying to balance all the other things that go on in their lives.

It is not just people in blue-collar employment who face difficulties. A constituent of mine in west Fife, Alison Johnstone, sent me an e-mail in October. She is a working mum with a six-year-old son. She has a masters degree in chemical engineering and is studying part time for a masters degree in managerial leadership, and she works in the public sector. Along with her husband, she wants to put in place flexible arrangements so that they can jointly bring up their kids and spend valuable and meaningful time with them, while also keeping their careers going. That is difficult, and involves negotiation and discussion that even someone on that career path with those qualifications is finding very difficult. Childcare is a key issue that affects every part of the economy. It affects those who are trying to get into work, and it affects blue-collar workers and professionals. We must bear that in mind.

I am sure that other MSPs received yesterday a copy of a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report that clarifies some of the issues in a sophisticated way. Flexible working is an issue for employers because of the wider economic pressures that they face. The reality of flexible working for smaller businesses in Scotland—95 per cent are small or micro—can be difficult if they do not have the capacity to deal with it, so that is another challenge.

I was pleased to hear the minister say that she is intending to bring people together to talk about childcare opportunities, particularly in the private sector. I believe that there is a role for the public sector in that regard: the Scottish Government, the national health service and other public bodies must take the lead by saying, “Here’s how we’d like to do things with our employees”. It is important that the private sector follows that lead.

I reiterate that childcare is a key economic issue, and I am pleased that we are debating it today. I hope that we get a positive outcome.

09:52

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Meeting of the Parliament 15 March 2012

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