Chamber and committees

Why did it happen, then?

No. Why did the education system allow the poverty-related attainment gap to get so wide—much wider than in other countries of a similar type?

No.

No, I accept that, but what was recognised in 2016? Nobody has explained it. Why have we embarked on education reform if there is nothing wrong?

Will the debate happen before that or after?

Thank you. I will turn to early learning and childcare. I have seen the pledge to pay workers in that area at least £12 an hour.

Sorry—I have had an acknowledgement from Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise that that will not deal with the problem that we have talked about, which is the loss of experienced staff to earn more than £12 an hour. It does not help. How are you going to close the gap?

You might be in trouble with your First Minister, because, during the SNP election hustings, he promised to resolve the problem.

I have a question about the whole family wellbeing fund. The commitment is to provide £500 million during the current parliamentary session, of which £100 million has been committed so far, which will mean spending £400 million in the final year of the parliamentary session. How on earth are you going to do that?

I get that. My fear is that your course of action is a bit more about the status quo and will not deliver the promise that you have made to make significant progress on overall performance and on the poverty-related attainment gap. Are you not afraid that that might be the case? I understand the pressures—I get all that—but are you not afraid about that? I characterise your approach as the “status quo”, although I know it is more than that, but are you not worried that, if you do not drive forward more substantial change, you will not get substantial improvement?