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FM apologises for child care stats error
She admits she got it wrong in North Lanarkshire
The First Minister has apologised and asked that the official report of the Scottish Parliament be corrected after wrongly stating t h at N o r th Lanarkshire was not yet offering any expanded provision of 1140 hours of early learning and childcare.
Nicola Sturgeon had made the erroneous statement in response to a Holyrood question about the rollout of the scheme, and was then challenged by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard and council education convener Frank McNally.
The council is currently offering the increased provision in 69 per cent of its own nurseries, with the rest due to join the programme by the end of the month. It is also funding the doubled hours in all private and voluntary nurseries.
Mr Leonard said: “It is regrettable that the First Minister hadn’t done her homework. She should really know better.
“Throughout the pandemic the council has ensured that the children of keyworkers receive this childcare and it is now being made available to all three-and four-year-olds, as well as eligible two-year-olds.
“I know how hard staff in the early years service work; it is not an easy job at the best of times and the pandemic has thrown up additional challenges.
“The workforce and the council have risen to the challenge and delivered – I want to acknowledge, applaud and thank them for that.”
He told the First Minister that her answer had been “misleading and inaccurate” and said: “The staff in early learning and childcare in North Lanarkshire continue to work diligently and with great effort to deliver this. North Lanarkshire Council should have been praised for their efforts and ambition.”
Councillor McNally also set out the council’s position in a letter, saying: “When the Scottish Government removed the statutory obligation on councils delivering the programme, North Lanarkshire was quick to announce its plans to continue regardless – at that time the largest council in Scotland to make such a pledge.
“North Lanarkshire was one of the first councils to switch on private, voluntary and independent provider funding at 1140 hours, sustaining the rate in full over lockdown.” He called the error “deeply disappointing” and told the First
Minister: “The hardworking staff in North Lanarkshire are going above and beyond to deliver this important initiative for families across our communities.
“They have been working incredibly hard to deliver 1140 funded hours [and] have done so during a period of extraordinary turmoil and uncertainty.
“They deserve better than inaccurate statements being made in parliament, before legislators and a wide television and online audience.”
Ms Sturgeon has written to the parliament’s presiding officer to correct the record, and confirmed to Mr Leonard that North Lanarkshire is one of 19 councils across Scotland already making partial provision of the 1140 hours scheme.
She added: “I understand that the remaining 36 council settings will move to 1140 hours by the end of this month.
“This position is even more positive than the one I narrated to parliament.
“I want to take the time to recognise the huge amount of work that has gone into supporting children and families over this difficult time, and I would like to extend my thanks to North Lanarkshire’s early years team.
“I very much appreciate how challenging it has been for everyone involved in early learning and childcare to reach this level delivery.
“Please accept my apologies once again for any confusion caused by my answer.”