Mr McDonald says the plan is to allow local authorities to plan ahead of 2020. 

The childcare and early years minister says capital allocation will be a part of the budget process.

He says the government recognise that too often the funding does not relate to flexibility in terms of hours and he is looking to address that. 

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Labour MSP Daniel Johnson says he welcomes the expansion of early years learning and childcare.

Mr Johnson say his party remains concerned about the money required to deliver it.

He asks what capital funding will be available and when will it be available.

The Labour MSP asks what the future role of local authorities will be.

Childcare Minister Mark McDonald says on the issue of quality the government will give careful consideration to how this is measured.

Mr McDonald says the fund for ASN support will be £500,000 per year, £2m over the next four years.

This is for training and equipment, he says.

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Conservative MSP Liz Smith says the Conservatives appreciate the move to make the money follow the child.

Ms Smith asks what thought has been given to the measurement of the qualitystandards.

She asks how much money is going to Additional Support Needs.

Mr McDonald says living wage will be extended to all childcare staff and local authorities will be provided with an extra £50m to achieve this.

The childcare and early years minister says a new funding of £2m over the next four years will be introduced for training.

He says the government will ensure the expansion gives children an equal chance of fulfilling his or her potential. 

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Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald says the details of actual funding will be made clear in the budget process later this year.

Mr McDonald says the expansion of childcare will offer fulfilling career opportunities and he says the government needs to ensure the workforce is valued.

He details recruitment strategies to increase the profile of early learning care (ELC) roles and to increase gender equality.

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Last August a report carried out by a campaign group revealed some parents are struggling to access the childcare they are entitled to .

The findings came from a report published by Fair Funding for Our Kids, external .

In 2014, the Scottish government increased entitlement to free childcare for three to five-year-olds from 475 to 600 hours per year.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said 2015 statistics showed "97% registration" for funded childcare.

Fair Funding for Our Kids submitted Freedom of Information requests in order to analyse whether working parents' needs were being met across Scotland.

The research found that some local authorities were only offering half-day places at council nurseries.

While some families could place their children in private nurseries for the full day, councils did not always fund these places, even where the nurseries were in partnership with the local authorities.

Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald says his officials will work in partnership with local authorities.  

Mr McDonald says local authorities will deliver the plans and the government will work to support them on this. 

The childcare and early years minister says childminders will play their part and the government will work with childminder authorities to ensure they are properly resourced and trained. 

Image source, THINKSTOCK

In January the Scottish government faced fresh calls to end a "birthday discrimination rule" which sees some children lose 400 hours of free nursery education .

The anomaly means children born in August receive two years of free provision, but a child born in January gets just 15 months.

Amendments to a Scottish government bill that would have closed the loophole were voted down in 2014.

The Tories have now urged ministers to act "as a matter or urgency".

The anomaly exists because most children are not eligible for free childcare until the start of the term after their third birthday.

But the Scottish government said local authorities can and do start children earlier where they have capacity to do so, which is for the councils to fund and manage.

A report by think tank Reform Scotland has calculated that the loophole can cost some parents up to £2,800 in additional child care costs.

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Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald says the Scottish government's blueprint action plan contains 31 steps to be taken in the coming year to support the exapansion of childcare.

Image source, THINKSTOCK

From August 2014, free entitlement to early learning and childcare (ELC) increased to 600 hours per year, equivalent to around 16 hours per week if delivered during school term time. 

The government is committed to increasing the early learning and childcare entitlement to 1,140 hours per year by 2020. 

This will continue to cover all 3 and 4 year old children, and eligible 2 year olds. 

The expansion to 1,140 hours per year will require substantial increases in the workforce and investment in infrastructure as well as new and innovative models of delivery.

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Childcare and Early Years Minister Mark McDonald says the government is committed to a bright future for Scotland's children.

Mr McDonald says that is why it has expanded free early learning and childcare provision.

He says this will be crucial in tackling the attainment gap.

The minister says our public services need to focus on the individual

Image source, Reuters

The Scottish government will shortly deliver a statement on expansion of free early learning and childcare.

International Development Minister Alasdair Allan says he is disappointed that the UK government remain reluctant to take action at a UN level to tackle the crimes against the Yazidi people.

Mr Allan says the Scottish government speak out against such crimes and is an outward looking nation.

Labour MSP Lewis Macdonad asks if the minister agrees that the Iraqi government must take the next step and send a letter to the security council.

The international development minister says he does and that we must live by the principles of tolerance and respect.

Mr Allan says the Scottish government recognises the crimes against the Yazidi people. 

That ends this member's debate and we'll be back at 14:30.

Image source, Reuters

As so-called Islamic State (IS) militants are driven out of Mosul, Paul Moss reports on the continuing plight of the Yazidis, the Iraqi religious group who the United Nations says has suffered more destruction than any other at IS hands.

First one of the Yazidi women started crying, then one of her friends. And then one of the visitors could be heard stifling a sob.

We were listening as a group of Yazidis recounted the now horribly familiar story of how IS came to their homeland on Mount Sinjar in 2014, killing thousands and driving many thousands more into exile.

"Some of our neighbours were running away, but before reaching the mountains, Islamic State gangs captured them and took them," one of the women said.

"The men were killed, and the women and children taken.

"So many died."

Read more here.

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International Development Minister Alasdair Allan says this debate comes "on the day when we remember all victims of terror".

Mr Allan says he wants to put on record the Scottish government's own condemnation of the crimes perpetrated by the Yazidi people.

He says:"Daesh is a monstrous criminal enterprise."

Labour MSP Johann Lamont says often we pick up atrocities across the world and then move on.

Ms Lamont says "it is important that we shine a light on atrocities if justice is to be secured."

She says the big lesson of genocide is that it is not a single event and it starts with dehumanising people and then committing genocide whilst denying it is happening.