Chamber and committees

Through our consultation, A Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland, we are seeking views as to how payment of the Living Wage and wider Fair Work practises can be encouraged across the Early Learning and Childcare sector.

We will publish our response to the consultation in Spring 2017.

We are working with partners to explore the extent of on-site provision and will set out more information in the Scottish Government’s response to the consultation in Spring 2017.

We are currently in the process of gathering detailed information on the available capacity within the early learning and childcare sector.

In line with National Records of Scotland 2014-based population projections, we do not expect any significant demographical changes in terms of eligible children by 2020.

In order to ensure that the expansion of funded entitlement will support the delivery of more flexible provision, the Scottish Government is committed to substantially increase the number of qualified early years practitioners and invest in early learning and childcare infrastructure.

We are currently working closely with the Scottish Out of School Care Network to develop a new policy framework for out of school care. The framework will be developed under the auspices of the Early Learning and Childcare Strategic Forum, whose remit is to develop and drive a strategic vision for high quality, flexible early learning and childcare in Scotland - integrated with an out of school care system - that is affordable and accessible for all.

The statutory guidance is being revised in light of the amendments to the Additional Support for Learning Act which were brought forward through the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. The statutory guidance will be published for consultation, alongside non-statutory guidance and draft regulations in 2017.

We will commission a Flexible Jobs Index for Scotland, which will determine the availability of flexible jobs in Scotland, by the end of 2016 and we will seek to publish as soon as practicable thereafter.

We will set out more details on our programme of infrastructure development in Spring 2017 as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the consultation.

A draft of the Skills Investment Plan for the Early Learning and Childcare sector will be produced by January 2017 and shared with partners. The final version of the Plan will be published in spring 2017.

Plans to establish an innovation and investment hub in Berlin are currently in development and details will be made available in due course.

Phase 2 of the Enterprise and Skills Review will conclude in Spring 2017. A programme of work for implementation of the recommendations from phase 1 will be set out during phase 2. This programme will be undertaken over the lifetime of the parliament.