Scots parents 'face highest childcare costs in UK'

PARENTS in Scotland pay the highest amount of money, on average, for childcare during the summer holidays in the UK.

The average price for a week's holiday childcare in Scotland stands at 100.38, up by more than 5 per cent compared with last year. In Wales and England, average costs were 80.25 and 93.28 respectively.

The average cost of a week's childcare across Britain has risen by 3 per cent this year to 93, with costs ranging from 119.32 for private or voluntary sector childcare in the east of England region to 58.89 for local authority-provided childcare in Wales.

Childcare charity Daycare Trust published the research ahead of the school holidays in England. Schools in Scotland finished for the summer at the end of last month.

Alison Garnham, chief executive of Daycare Trust, said: "We are hugely concerned by the gaping hole in the provision of holiday childcare across the country. The situation continues to get worse with the impact of local authority spending cuts, which we see are already attacking holiday childcare provision.

"Parents in Scotland are being expected to shell out the equivalent cost of a family holiday abroad over the course of the summer for the privilege of having their children looked after so that they can attend work.

"The government must take a comprehensive approach to investing in more holiday and wraparound childcare, whilst ensuring tax credits really do 'make work pay', so affordable, accessible, quality childcare is available for every child.

"The recent changes to tax credits mean that many working parents will receive less help with childcare costs - this is a seriously bad move and means more help is needed to make childcare more affordable."

Scotland saw a 10 per cent increase in the cost of local authority childcare compared to last year to 104.28, but no increase in costs for private or voluntary sector provision at 96.27.