Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 08 May 2025
08 May 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
General Question Time
Nursery Mothballing (National Guidance)
Local authorities are responsible for the management of their early learning and childcare estate. Statutory guidance sets out the Scottish Government’s expectations in relation to the mothballing of nurseries. Any mothballing must be temporary. Parents should still be able to make applications for children to attend mothballed nurseries, and councils should be able to reopen them if circumstances change.
As the First Minister stated last month, we are reviewing the guidance to provide greater clarity on whether mothballing is the appropriate action to take. Local authorities are responsible for complying with their statutory duties and are democratically accountable to their local electorate.
In the same item of business
3. Alexander Burnett (Aberdeenshire West) (Con)
Con
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister’s recent comments regarding the mothballing of nurseries, what systems are in place to ensure l...
The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise (Natalie Don-Innes)
SNP
Local authorities are responsible for the management of their early learning and childcare estate. Statutory guidance sets out the Scottish Government’s expe...
Alexander Burnett
Con
As the minister knows, it was announced just before Easter that four nurseries in Aberdeenshire would be mothballed. When the issue was raised in the chamber...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
I find the situation that Mr Burnett has brought to my attention very concerning. We expect local authorities to consult parents, carers and families to ensu...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
The minister has alluded to the fact that, two weeks ago, the First Minister said that the Government was reviewing the guidance. Given that Conservative-led...
Natalie Don-Innes
SNP
I appreciate Ms Grahame’s and other members’ concerns about the matter. As the First Minister highlighted, it is important that greater clarity is provided o...