The costings laid out for new legislation aimed at improving the lives of young people have been defended by children’s minister Aileen Campbell following “serious concerns” from MSPs.
Ms Campbell faced cross-party scrutiny over the financial aspects of the Children and Young People Bill during an appearance at Holyrood’s Education Committee.
The legislation includes provisions to increase free childcare for two-year-olds in the care system as well as all three and four-year-olds, and put in place a “named person” – such as a health visitor or teacher – for every child, to act as a key central point of contact as part of the Scottish Government’s Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.
But the committee questioned the costings of implementing these provisions following the publication of a critical report on the Bill’s financial memorandum by the Finance Committee.
Conservative MSP Liz Smith said the committee had raised “significant concerns about robustness of financial memorandum”.
“At the Finance Committee, the Bill team was asked specifically and repeatedly to provide figures which would support the Government’s implementation policy, and they appeared not to be forthcoming,” she said.
“It is very clear that there are people in Lothian Health Board, from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Edinburgh City Council who they feel that the Scottish Government has not provided sufficient money to support the ambitions of the Bill.”
Ms Smith said the RCN had stated there was not sufficient money to fund the number of health visitors required to meet the needs of the “named-person” policy, suggesting a further 450 would be needed across the country.
Ms Campbell replied: “We have closely liaised with the relevant people to ensure that the financial memorandum we have to accompany this Bill is as good as it can be.
“What we have produced is what we believe is the right costings to adequately cope with the implementations of the GIRFEC provisions within the Bill.”
Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur also questioned the costings, particularly the funding for extra childcare for two-year-olds in care, which has risen from £1.1 million to £4.5 million.
“Can you perhaps explain the thinking that resulted in a four-fold increase?” he asked the minister.
Ms Campbell said the increase reflected discussions with local authority umbrella group Cosla.
“This is something that I thought would have been welcome, that we’re putting in additional money so that we can deliver something we are proud of for looked-after two-year-olds,” she said.
The minister also defended the legal competency of the Bill after committee members highlighted the differences in legal opinion from witnesses, including the Faculty of Advocates and human rights organisations compared with the Scottish Government on areas such as information-sharing and the named-personprovision.
“We know that every bit of legislation that we put forward as a Government is competent and that is no less true for this Bill,” Ms Campbell said.
“Certainly, from our point of view, this named-person provision in the Bill is about providing a support network and a framework to support families.
“There is no dilution in the role of parents because the named-person provision is very different from the role of a parent.”