Written Question · S5W-04518 · Session 5
Further to the answer to question S5W-03782 by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016, in light of the data in the response providing the informa…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03782 by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016, in light of the data in the response providing the information for children who are registered for the funding only, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding the number who are entitled to it.
The answer
As reported in the Financial Review, we estimate that there were around 16,000 two year olds entitled to free early learning and childcare in Scotland in 2015 under the terms of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. This does not include those children receiving free ELC under the terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or those children who receive free ELC based on local priorities. Our Scotland-level estimate is based on information from various sources most of which are not disaggregated to local authority level.
a) Looked after children (including children formally looked after in kinship care but not those subject to a Kinship Care Order)
- The table below contains a breakdown of looked after 2 year olds entitled to free ELC by local authority. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some of these children may also qualify under other criteria eg because their parents receive qualifying benefits.
b) Kinship Care Orders / Guardianship
- We do not collect data on 2 year olds eligible for free ELC through kinship care orders or guardianship. As explained in the Financial Review, to derive the estimate of overall two year old eligibility, we estimated that looked after children, children under kinship care orders and children in guardianship combined were around 3 per cent of the population and that the total population is around 60,000. Some of these children may also qualify under other criteria eg because their parents receive qualifying benefits. We estimate that this applies to 70 per cent.
c) Qualifying benefits – Information on households in receipt of qualifying benefits is held by Department for Work and Pensions and by HMRC. They do not provide the relevant information on two year olds to Scottish Government at a local authority level. For Scotland as a whole, we estimate that around 15,200 two-year olds are eligible for free ELC because they live in a household in receipt of qualifying benefits.
d) In need / local priorities
- Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of children entitled to free ELC under the terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or those children who receive free ELC based on local priorities.
Number of looked after two year olds, 2015
LAC
Aberdeen City
30
Aberdeenshire
20
Angus
20
Argyll & Bute
10
Clackmannanshire
less than 10
Dumfries & Galloway
30
Dundee City
30
East Ayrshire
20
East Dunbartonshire
less than 10
East Lothian
10
East Renfrewshire
10
Edinburgh, City of
50
Eilean Siar
less than 10
Falkirk
20
Fife
60
Glasgow City
100
Highland
20
Inverclyde
10
Midlothian
10
Moray
10
North Ayrshire
40
North Lanarkshire
30
Orkney Islands
less than 10
Perth & Kinross
10
Renfrewshire
30
Scottish Borders
less than 10
Shetland Islands
less than 10
South Ayrshire
10
South Lanarkshire
20
Stirling
less than 10
West Dunbartonshire
20
West Lothian
20
a) Looked after children (including children formally looked after in kinship care but not those subject to a Kinship Care Order)
- The table below contains a breakdown of looked after 2 year olds entitled to free ELC by local authority. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some of these children may also qualify under other criteria eg because their parents receive qualifying benefits.
b) Kinship Care Orders / Guardianship
- We do not collect data on 2 year olds eligible for free ELC through kinship care orders or guardianship. As explained in the Financial Review, to derive the estimate of overall two year old eligibility, we estimated that looked after children, children under kinship care orders and children in guardianship combined were around 3 per cent of the population and that the total population is around 60,000. Some of these children may also qualify under other criteria eg because their parents receive qualifying benefits. We estimate that this applies to 70 per cent.
c) Qualifying benefits – Information on households in receipt of qualifying benefits is held by Department for Work and Pensions and by HMRC. They do not provide the relevant information on two year olds to Scottish Government at a local authority level. For Scotland as a whole, we estimate that around 15,200 two-year olds are eligible for free ELC because they live in a household in receipt of qualifying benefits.
d) In need / local priorities
- Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of children entitled to free ELC under the terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or those children who receive free ELC based on local priorities.
Number of looked after two year olds, 2015
LAC
Aberdeen City
30
Aberdeenshire
20
Angus
20
Argyll & Bute
10
Clackmannanshire
less than 10
Dumfries & Galloway
30
Dundee City
30
East Ayrshire
20
East Dunbartonshire
less than 10
East Lothian
10
East Renfrewshire
10
Edinburgh, City of
50
Eilean Siar
less than 10
Falkirk
20
Fife
60
Glasgow City
100
Highland
20
Inverclyde
10
Midlothian
10
Moray
10
North Ayrshire
40
North Lanarkshire
30
Orkney Islands
less than 10
Perth & Kinross
10
Renfrewshire
30
Scottish Borders
less than 10
Shetland Islands
less than 10
South Ayrshire
10
South Lanarkshire
20
Stirling
less than 10
West Dunbartonshire
20
West Lothian
20
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-04518 by reference.