Meeting of the Parliament 27 May 2026 [Draft]
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 costs and workforce requirements will be developed in due course. I remind members that the commitment is to have completed the policy by the end of the five-year period. It is a huge piece of work, and we will all have to work together on it. We are in the early stages just now.
The Diffley report, which we commissioned and which reported recently, set out an important perspective on what has worked and what needs to be improved. I am short of time, but there are a couple of points that I want to draw out. First, it is clear that funded childcare has had an important impact on maternal employment. Secondly, it was demonstrated that, once an eligible two-year-old has undertaken a year, little developmental difference can be observed between them and a three-year-old peer who is starting on the universal offer. I see that as a really important bit of success for the project.
Of course, as colleagues have said, recruitment, skills development, rates, flexibility, additional support needs aspects, practical issues of roll-out and costs must all be developed. I sincerely look forward to working with colleagues across the chamber on the project.
I have focused my remarks on the 1,140 hours, but there is a huge amount of other work that the Government has completed or is looking to take forward, such as the expansion of breakfast clubs, our extra time programme and our work in priority communities. It is worth noting that those communities are Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Glasgow, Inverclyde and Shetland. We have deliberately chosen those areas to help us to understand how best these measures work across different demographics in Scotland.
I will bring my remarks to a close so that we can have a good and full debate. However, Presiding Officer, it has to be said that, as you will know from your previous role, we are facing some of the most challenging fiscal conditions since devolution, and so are households in Scotland. Therefore, we have to make every penny that we spend work for the people of Scotland.
The Government and I believe that there is a strong case for expanding childcare. It reduces inequalities, tackles poverty and provides new economic opportunities across the country. It is an ambitious but vital task. I know that there is consensus across the chamber and I look forward to getting to work with colleagues and the minister to deliver that expansion for Scotland.
I move,
That the Parliament believes that every child deserves the best start in life and that a child’s earliest years are crucial in their development; recognises the importance of high quality, accessible and affordable childcare in tackling poverty, supporting employment opportunities for parents, supporting child development and driving inclusive economic growth; acknowledges the Scottish Government’s investment in early learning and childcare to date, and supports its aim to extend year-round childcare support to every child from nine months old to the end of primary school.