First Minister Humza Yousaf to announce ‘bundle’ of childcare measures in programme for presidency

First Minister Humza Yousaf will use his first programme for presidency to announce a “package” of childcare measures.

The announcement will come as Scotland’s chief units out his authorities’s legislative agenda for the following parliamentary 12 months on Tuesday.

During a go to to a college and nursery in Dundee forward of the speech in Holyrood, Mr Yousaf stated the announcement would assist sort out poverty and enhance the financial system by bringing folks again into the workforce.

The announcement, he stated, would come with help for breakfast and after faculty golf equipment, potential additional growth of free childcare and help for employees, together with these within the non-public, voluntary and impartial (PVI) sector, which has raised considerations of the influence on staffing because the Scottish authorities launched its 1,140 hours per 12 months free childcare challenge.

“We’re looking at areas around what we can do in relation to the pathfinder projects that we have that help provide that all year round, school age childcare, from breakfast clubs to after school clubs,” he stated.

“We’ll be looking at what we can do in relation to further expansion to two-year-olds- and what more can be done in supporting staff in the PVI sector in particular.”

But the primary minister – who has beforehand been chastised by Holyrood’s presiding officer after particulars of presidency bulletins have been launched to the press earlier than being made in parliament – was reticent over particulars about different components of the Programme for Government.

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However, he did decide to taking motion to guard folks dwelling within the non-public rented sector.

Speaking to LBC, Mr Yousaf was requested about loopholes within the authorities’s lease freeze which permits costs to rise between tenancies at a a lot greater charge than the utmost of 6% at present allowed by the laws.

“There will be some detail around what we can do to protect those in the private rented sector,” he stated.

“We know it’s a significant challenge right across the country, but we know there’s particular areas that face that challenge, perhaps, more than others, so there’ll be some information in the programme for government about our plans for over the next 12 months.”

But requested if there have been plans to extend the Scottish Child Payment from £25 per week to £30 per week – one thing Mr Yousaf stated he would think about in the course of the SNP management race earlier this 12 months – in addition to on plans for taxation and the connection with enterprise, he appeared eager to offer nothing away.

Reports over the weekend counsel a pilot within the public sector might be amongst his plans, with the primary minister saying there was “a really strong evidence base” for the transfer and he wish to collect extra proof, including “the public sector would naturally be one of the areas to look at”.