Campaign and petition email responses

Statement on the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill - Childcare as infrastructure

While the Levelling Up Bill is largely UK wide, and the SNP shall participate in the bill, several areas of the bill do not concern Scotland.

As the SNP believe in respecting devolution of the nations of the UK, it does not vote on issues that are devolved to other parts of the UK at Westminster.

Childcare is a devolved matter to the Scottish Parliament.

As such, the best way to deal with childcare matters in Scotland is through the Scottish Parliament, and it is here that the SNP have led the UK in supporting childcare for all.

The Scottish Government are committed to delivering high-quality early learning and childcare, as they know that this can make a huge difference to children’s lives.

All 3 and 4 year olds in Scotland, and those 2 year olds who need it most, have been eligible for 1140 hours of funded ELC since August 2021.

Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer the equivalent of 1,140 hours to all eligible children regardless of their parents’ working status, putting families and children first.

In 2023-24 the Scottish Government will be investing around £1 billion in the delivery of 1,140 hours of high quality funded early learning and childcare to all eligible children.

The Scottish Government will continue to invest £15 million to design an all-year-round system of school-age childcare, which will be funded to those families on the lowest incomes.

Scotland continues to have the highest average funding rates for the delivery of funded childcare in the UK.

While the SNP will not vote to change laws on English, Welsh, or NI only matters, the SNP will continue to raise Scotland’s progress on childcare in Westminster and call on the UK Government to follow Scotland’s example