Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Kenneth Gibson) NPA

The next item of business is a debate on motion S7M-00128, in the name of Màiri McAllan, on expanding childcare. I invite members who wish to speak in the de...

The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic (Màiri McAllan) SNP

I am delighted to open the debate for the Government on the important topic of early learning and childcare and the Government’s plans to transform provision...

Willie Rennie (Fife North East) (LD) LD

I echo that appreciation for the work that those early learning and childcare professionals do. However, if the cabinet secretary believes that, will she fin...

Màiri McAllan SNP

When it comes to pay, I am proud that Scotland is the only part of the United Kingdom that, through its funding for early learning and childcare, creates the...

Stephen Kerr (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

Did I understand correctly that the cabinet secretary said that the lack of parity that Willie Rennie identified, which she has acknowledged, will be address...

Màiri McAllan SNP

We are in the early days of a significant expansion project. I say to the chamber that I am open minded about learning with regard to the delivery of 1,140 h...

Willie Rennie LD

The difficulty is that the cabinet secretary’s predecessors have been open minded for years about the issue and we have not made any progress. We need more t...

Màiri McAllan SNP

I do not think that it is realistic to say that progress has not been made. In my first response to Willie Rennie, I noted that Scotland is the only place in...

Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Con) Con

The Scottish Government announced in 2023 that it would expand funded childcare from nine months onwards. What progress has been made since that promise?

Màiri McAllan SNP

I was going to come to that later, but I will address it now. I will talk about some of the work that we have been doing in our priority communities. We have...

Victor Currie (Highlands and Islands) (Reform) Reform

The previous expansion to 1,140 hours, which the cabinet secretary has mentioned a few times, required an additional 4,000 full-time equivalent staff. If the...

Màiri McAllan SNP

The member is absolutely right to point out the importance of the workforce. The workforce, which consists mainly of women, is the single most important fact...

Stephen Kerr Con

Will the cabinet secretary give way on that point?

Màiri McAllan SNP

Will I get the time back, Presiding Officer?

The Presiding Officer NPA

Yes.

Màiri McAllan SNP

I will, of course, give way.

Stephen Kerr Con

I want to follow up on the previous question and what the cabinet secretary has just said. What are the Government’s estimates on the number of additional st...

Màiri McAllan SNP

In our manifesto, we set out an estimate of about £500 million. However, the Government is in the early days of developing the policy, so the estimates on co...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Thank you, cabinet secretary. I call Katherine Sangster to speak to and move amendment S7M-00128.2. I remind members that this is Katherine Sangster’s first ...

Katherine Sangster (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Lab) Lab

It is a huge privilege to make my maiden speech as Scottish Labour and Co-operative MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East. I thank the voters across our commun...

Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green) Green

Every child deserves the best possible start in life. Every parent deserves the chance to work, study, rest or simply breathe without the crushing anxiety of...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark) Lab

I call Meghan Gallacher to speak to and move amendment S7M-00128.4.

Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland and Lothians West) (Con) Con

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I welcome you to your post. I also welcome the cabinet secretary to her post.I will begin on a point of consensus with the Scot...

Màiri McAllan SNP

I hear Meghan Gallacher’s points about delivery and public trust. I take the opportunity, early in the development of the policy, to acknowledge the importan...

Meghan Gallacher Con

I said right at the start that I believe in expanding childcare. Later in my contribution, I will speak about what I believe it should be expanded to, but I ...

Stephen Kerr Con

Would the member go as far as to say that, unless the disparity in funding is properly tackled now, the expansion, which we all support, will fail?

Meghan Gallacher Con

When I entered the Parliament in 2021, one of the first issues that came across my desk was that the PVI sector did not feel part of the overall 1,140-hour p...

Willie Rennie (Fife North East) (LD) LD

I will begin where Meghan Gallacher and Stephen Kerr finished. We need to get the fundamentals of the provision of ELC in Scotland right before we look to ex...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Katy Clark) Lab

I call Angela Ross to make her first speech.15:16

Angela Ross (Edinburgh and Lothians East) (Reform) Reform

I, too, congratulate the cabinet secretary on her appointment.As this is my first speech, I thank the voters of Edinburgh and Lothians East, who have put the...