Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Official Report 1027KB pdf

Point of Order

We have a point of order from Richard Leonard.

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. During First Minister’s questions this afternoon, in an answer to a question from Alasdair Allan, the First Minister provided inaccurate information to members. The First Minister claimed that North Lanarkshire Council was not delivering any of the 1,140 hours of childcare provision. That statement is categorically false and the First Minister has misled the chamber. In fact, 69 per cent of early years establishments in North Lanarkshire are currently delivering the 1,140 hours provision, and North Lanarkshire Council has committed to delivering the provision in full by the end of this month. Statements such as the First Minister’s are disrespectful to North Lanarkshire’s early learning and childcare staff, who have worked diligently to deliver the programme.

Will the Presiding Officer ask the First Minister to apologise to those workers, North Lanarkshire Council and members for that misleading and inaccurate statement, and to correct the Official Report?

I thank Richard Leonard for advance notice of the point of order. It is a point of information, contention and debate, but it is not a point of order for me to rule on. If the member wishes to pursue the point with the First Minister, there are a number of methods by which he can do so, including through questions or by writing to her.