The Scottish Conservatives have launched a withering attack on the SNP’s lack of progress on its promised nursery expansion.
A written parliamentary answer to Rachael Hamilton MSP has identified that, despite the SNP’s claims to build, expand, or refurbish 750 nurseries by 2021, they have so far only achieved 97.
The First Minister has herself previously promised the SNP would build, expand or refurbish 750 nurseries across Scotland over the course of the Parliament.
The written answer shows that in the last two years, since August 2017, only 97 nurseries have been built, extended or refurbished.
That represents only 13 percent of the SNP’s own target, with only two years to go to the 2021 deadline.
At this rate of progress, the SNP could fall short of the target by around 500 nurseries, underlining concerns of a massive capacity issue when the new expansion of childcare comes into force next year.
Rachael Hamilton, Scottish Conservative MSP for Berwickshire said:
“The SNP has made so little progress towards their own target on nursery capacity it is laughable.
“Nicola Sturgeon herself has promised that 750 nurseries will be built, expanded or refurbished by 2021 yet the SNP is nowhere near.
“The SNP has taken almost two years to upgrade or build 97 nurseries in total.
“With this kind of progress how on earth can they promise each child will have 1140 hours of childcare next year?
“Yet again it seems that there is a massive gulf between the SNP’s promises and the reality of their delivery.”
