§ 6. Mr. Russell Brown (Dumfries)What steps he is taking to ensure the continuance of child care provision, following the withdrawal of urban aid funding. [41255]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Sam Galbraith)As part of our strategy for child care for the financial year 1998–99, we will be making almost £4 million extra available to local authorities to develop and encourage child care in their areas. That could be used, among other purposes, to provide funding for child care projects previously funded through the urban programme.
§ Mr. BrownToday, high-quality child care provision, right across the country, has been announced. Does my hon. Friend agree that what rural areas have not received in the past will come through the actions of the Government? Under the previous Administration, rural areas were sadly neglected.
§ Mr. GalbraithI most certainly agree with my hon. Friend. Today, we launched our child care strategy which is designed to ensure that affordable, accessible, high-quality care is available for those who need it—right across society.
There is no absolute blueprint because needs differ and provision and diversity vary in rural areas, and it will be for local partnerships to deal with matters. We have put in large extra amounts, starting with £5 million this year, and there will be £50 million for next year. There is also the child care tax credit, which, for Scotland, alone will be an additional £30 million for the sector.
§ Mr. Donald Gorrie (Edinburgh, West)Will the Minister consider bringing more Departments together to approach such subjects? This country seems to have the 720 fault of isolating individual problems. If we brought together the health service, housing, education, recreation, social work and voluntary bodies, we could deal better with problems than we can by isolating them and having a little fund here and a bigger fund there.
§ Mr. GalbraithMay I suggest to the hon. Gentleman that he reads the Green Paper and the child care strategy document because that is exactly what is being done? Why does he think that I am the Minister with responsibility for children? It is because I am able to co-ordinate all Departments. Other parties talk about altering government, but we have produced joined-up government to produce joined-up solutions that result in benefits for the whole of society.