- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Local Government Revenue Provision Outturns and Budget Estimates, which records councils using reserves to keep services running.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 4 June 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22964 by Maree Todd on 16 May 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what effect it expects the charging of low prices for childcare services in council-run settings would have on private, voluntary and independent sector providers that cannot match such prices without making a loss, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.
Answer
As highlighted in the answers to both questions S5W-22432 on 29 April 2019 and S5W-22964, local authorities have discretionary powers to provide early learning and childcare beyond the statutory entitlement under section 1(1C) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and may charge for such provision in terms of section 33(2) of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.
As highlighted in S5W-22964 local authorities are committed to ensuring the highest quality of local services for children and families, and in particular to supporting those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. How resources are used locally to support families – for example by helping parents and carers with the costs of childcare – is a matter for local decision-making in line with local democratic processes.
Therefore, consideration of any effect of councils providing discretionary ELC on other providers would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2019
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for Farm Safety Week 2019.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 23 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the four approaches for local authorities to set a sustainable revenue funding rate for private, voluntary and independent sector childcare providers set out in its guidance note, “Funding follows the child and the national standard for early learning and childcare providers: guidance for setting sustainable rates from August 2020”, and which approach it considers has the greatest likelihood of delivering a fair and sustainable rate for funded providers.
Answer
Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers: Guidance for Setting Sustainable Rates from August 2020 was developed by Scotland Excel on behalf of the Scottish Government and COSLA. Section 4 of that guidance (Developing a Local Rate) sets out the overarching principles and points that should be taken into account by all local authorities when establishing sustainable rates.
Section 5 of the guidance sets out four potential approaches that would support local authorities to establish an average rate for the cost of ELC in their area, all of which could deliver a fair and sustainable rate for funded providers.
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 23 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the "cost modelling"’ approach presented in its guidance note, "Funding follows the child and the national standard for early learning and childcare providers: guidance for setting sustainable rates from August 2020" will deliver meaningful and genuine partnership working between local authorities and private, voluntary and independent sector childcare providers.
Answer
Meaningful and genuine partnership working between local authorities and funded providers is key to the success of the early learning and childcare expansion. Local authorities and funded providers are investing a great deal of time and energy in developing and maintaining their relationships, and working together to solve problems. The Scottish Government and COSLA are supporting local authorities and funded providers with this, including through the ELC Partnership Forum which next meets in the Forth Valley and West Lothian Region in June.
Setting a sustainable rate requires considerable sharing of cost information between local authorities and funded providers. For this to take place, trusting relationships between parties need to be established and maintained. The options open to local authorities, and their success, depend on the structure of the market and the willingness of both parties to co-operate.
The Cost Modelling approach set out in section 5.4 of Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers: Guidance for Setting Sustainable Rates from August 2020 provides a potential approach for the local authority to apply when establishing sustainable rates “ in the event that no cost data is available, or provided, by private and third sector providers.” The guidance also sets out three further approaches local authorities could take where more information is available or provided by local private and third sector providers.
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 16 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22432 by Maree Todd on 29 April 2019, what effect it expects the charging of low prices for childcare services in council-run settings would have on private, voluntary and independent sector providers that cannot match such prices without making a loss.
Answer
As highlighted in the answer to question S5W-22432, local authorities have discretionary powers to provide early learning and childcare beyond the statutory entitlement under section 1(1C) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and may charge for such provision in terms of section 33(2) of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.
Local authorities are committed to ensuring the highest quality of local services for children and families, and in particular to supporting those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. How resources are used locally to support families – for example by helping parents and carers with the costs of childcare – is a matter for local decision-making in line with local democratic processes.
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the final guidance compiled by Scotland Excel for childcare will be published.
Answer
Scotland Excel was commissioned by the Scottish Government to develop a suite of supporting operational guidance and information to help local authorities and providers in the private and third sectors, including childminders, implement Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard. Guidance documents covering Business Sustainability, Sustainable Rates and Transition Options Guidance on Contracting were published on 29 April 2019 and can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-guidance-meeting-criteria-7-business-sustainability/ ,
https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-guidance-setting-sustainable-rates-august-2020/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-transition-options-guidance-contracting/ .
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2019
To ask the Scottish Government whether any draft versions of the guidance compiled by Scotland Excel for childcare have been published and, if so, (a) on what dates and (b) where these can be accessed.
Answer
Scotland Excel was commissioned by the Scottish Government to develop a suite of supporting operational guidance and information to help local authorities and providers in the private and third sectors, including childminders, implement Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard. Guidance documents covering Business Sustainability, Sustainable Rates and Transition Options Guidance on Contracting were published on 29 April 2019 and can be found here:https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-guidance-meeting-criteria-7-business-sustainability/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-guidance-setting-sustainable-rates-august-2020/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/funding-follows-child-national-standard-early-learning-childcare-providers-transition-options-guidance-contracting/ .
The development of the guidance documents was informed by ongoing consultation with local authorities, providers, provider representative bodies and other stakeholders (for example, Care Inspectorate). The consultation approach involved a series of focus groups, meetings, a national survey and sharing draft documents for feedback.
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to raise from the large business supplement in Central Scotland region in 2019-20.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Alison Harris, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 29 April 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported charging of £2.65 for childcare services in council-run settings in South Lanarkshire Council in instances where children have turned three years old but are not yet fully eligible for funded entitlement is in line with Annex 4 (competition law) in the Fees and Charges section of the Scottish Public Finance Manual.
Answer
The Scottish Public Finance Manual is not applicable to local government. It applies to public bodies, or bodies sponsored by the Scottish Government, all of which are subject to audit by the Auditor General for Scotland.
Local authorities have discretionary powers to provide early learning and childcare beyond the statutory entitlement under section 1(1C) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and may charge for such provision in terms of section 33(2) of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.
