Labour wants cross-party childcare commission

Hugh Henry says many families are having difficulty finding decent childcare. Picture: Jane Barlow

A cross-party childcare commission should be established to work out an affordable way for parents to work and raise children, according to Labour.

Too many families struggle to find decent childcare that enables them to work, Labour education spokesman Hugh Henry will tell MSPs at Holyrood today.

Labour will call for a Scottish childcare commission, with all-party support, to be established to investigate and make recommendations on the expansion of affordable, quality childcare across Scotland.

Mr Henry said: “Childcare provision is an area that we can all agree is vitally important and we must work together to find solutions for the many challenges faced by Scottish families in finding childcare for working parents.

Affordable

“The time to act is now, not 16 months down the line after the referendum. We have families telling us that they are struggling to find adequate childcare that enables them to stay in jobs. That’s just not acceptable, nor is it sustainable for the Scottish economy.

“We don’t underestimate the challenge in delivering comprehensive, affordable childcare but there is general agreement that more needs to be done. We need to look at the resources we have to support these families and think of improved childcare as an investment in the labour market.

“We believe that the political parties in the Scottish Parliament should set aside their differences to deliver a fit-for-purpose childcare system for Scotland.”