The Scottish government’s flagship childcare plans are being put on hold until after the 2020-21 school year at the earliest.

A commitment to give parents 1,140 hours a year of free early years education for three- and four-year-olds had already been delayed beyond the planned implementation date of next month due to the pandemic.

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In a letter to councils, children’s minister Maree Todd now says the policy - which will also benefit some two-year-olds - will not be introduced in the coming school year.

Expanding free nursery hours

She told local authority directors of education that a revised date for implementing the policy will be jointly agreed by the government and councils, “taking full consideration of the factors impacting on delivery, including the disruption to capital programmes”.

Ms Todd said: “Recognising the significant impact of the coronavirus and recovery, it will not be feasible to reinstate a universal 1,140 duty in the academic year 20-21, or while the coronavirus public health measures, which significantly impact on ELC [early learning and childcare] capacity, remain in place, if that is longer. “

She said councils will be given at least six months’ notice of the new start date.

The letter, from Ms Todd and Stephen McCabe, children and young people’s spokesman for Cosla - the councils’ umbrella organisation - says that an “initial assessment of readiness” will be carried out in December 2020.

This will consider the “progress in recovery” from the pandemic, as well as the operational and financial implications of making the change.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon had announced the “transformational” plans to virtually double free early years care from 600 hours a year back in October 2017.

Ms Todd and Mr McCabe both stress in the letter that they “remain absolutely committed to the benefits of the expansion, and the return to 1,140 as soon as it is reasonable to do so”.

But from 11 August, the amount of free childcare families are entitled to will remain at 600 hours, with the legal obligation on councils to provide the extra hours having already been suspended because of coronavirus.

An Audit Scotland report at the start of March found that councils had made “steady progress” towards achieving the increased hours, but stressed then that extensive recruitment and building works were still required.