Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 26 June 2024.
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the delivery of 1,140 hours of funded childcare in Orkney, in light of the specific challenges faced by island authorities in meeting this requirement. (S6O-03640)
The Scottish Government recognises how vital early learning and childcare are in rural and island areas, in relation to giving children the best start in life and supporting families to work. Responsibility for delivering the 1,140 hours of funded ELC that is available to all eligible children in Scotland sits with local authorities, which have a statutory duty to ensure that local provision meets families’ needs. We invest almost £1 billion a year to fully fund that offer, and the costs of provision in rural areas are taken into account in the funding formula.
The Scottish Government has a robust strategy in place for evaluating the national ELC expansion, which will look at accessibility, particularly in rural and deprived communities. We expect to provide an interim update on that this year, with the full report due to be published next year.
In recent months, many constituents have contacted me in desperation about the lack of available childcare in Orkney. Anyone who is not working fixed hours or 9 to 5 faces acute problems but, even for those who do, accessing childcare is proving to be increasingly difficult. Childminders are few and far between, wraparound care for school-age children is largely non-existent, and many nurseries do not offer extended hours or support outside of term time. As an island community with a relatively small population, Orkney faces unique challenges in delivering the Government’s commitment to funded childcare. Will the minister agree to work with Orkney Islands Council to provide any additional support that is required to ensure that my constituents have access to the affordable and flexible childcare that they need and have been promised?
I absolutely recognise the particular and distinct challenges, barriers and opportunities for rural and island communities. I will continue to listen and look for solutions to the challenges that they face. Our addressing depopulation action plan, which was published in February, sets out the Scottish Government’s approach, which is aimed at supporting local communities. The plan acknowledges the important role of early learning and childcare as an important driver of population attraction and retention. The plan also sets out a range of work that is being taken forward to enhance our childcare offering in the context of rural communities, which includes the early adopter communities—I appreciate that that is not relevant in this circumstance—childminder recruitment and our commitment to phase in an expanded national offer for families with two-year-olds.
Over and above that, I am more than happy to meet the member if he would like to discuss the specific challenges further.
Question 5 has not been lodged.