Labour MSP Johann Lamont points to a submission to the committee from Fair Funding For Our Kids, highlighting some issues with access to childcare.

What work are you doing to address this, she asks.

Ms Todd says this is one of the main reasons for doubling the hours, arguing this will make it easier for some families to access childcare.

She accepts it may not be transformative for all parents but it will make a difference for some.

Image source, bbc

Mr Mundell asks about the staffing numbers and whether it is realisitc to find enough people to fill the gaps.

Ms Todd says she thinks the gap will be be filled as what has been described as the "biggest recruitment drive since the Second World War" is underway.

Tory MSP Oliver Mundell requests a breakdown for the gap in staffing and funding levels.

Ms Todd says the Scottish government and councils are at a crucial point in negotiations, which she says are going well.

"I'm not going to negotiate this in public," she responds when Mr Mundell presses for more information.

On the phasing in the policy, she explains the government has asked local authorities to target the communities which need free childcare most first.

Childcare is not going to be transformed overnight, the minister says.

£400 million– Scottish Government indicative allocation of capital funding available between 2018/19 and 2020/21 to provide 1,140 hours

£690 million– Councils' initial estimate of capital funding needed between 2018/19 and 2020/21 to provide 1,140 hours

Image source, PA/Getty

£840 million– Scottish Government indicative figure for annual revenue funding available by 2021/22

£1 billion– Councils' initial estimate of annual revenue spending on funded ELC by 2021/22

Childcare and Early Learning Minister Maree Todd says we remain on track to deliver the expansion to 1,140 childcare hours.

Committee convener James Dornan says there seems to be a big gap between the Scottish government and councils on funding and staffing.

Ms Todd says it is wrong to say there is a funding gap.

She says Audit Scotland have not analysed the government or the council estimates and she says work is underway to do that.

Image source, Thinkstock

The public spending watchdog has questioned plans to fund increased nursery provision in Scotland.

Audit Scotland said in a report there was a "significant risk" councils would not be able to resource a planned expansion.

The Scottish government has promised to almost double the annual hours in paid-for nursery places to 1,140.

In response to the report, the government repeated its pledge to fully fund the policy.

Scroll down the page for Auditor General Caroline Gardner's thoughts on her report.

Read more here.

Childcare Minister Maree Todd says access to early learning and childcare and looked-after children sit at the heart of Scottish government policies.

On the Audit Scotland report, she admits the expansion is "hugely ambitious" but argues it is the government's duty to be "hugely ambitious".

Ms Todd expresses confidence the government is on track to deliver expansion.

On care experienced young people, the minister confirms the government will "seize the opportunity to transform the life chances" of these children by engaging with the care review recommendations when they are delivered.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener James Dornan introduces:

• Childcare and Early Years Minister Maree Todd
• Michael Chalmers from the Scottish government
• Joe Griffin from the Scottish government
• Donald Henderson from the Scottish government

The Committee will hear evidence on funded childcare and care experienced people.

Read the committee papers here., external

Image source, Getty Images

Council nurseries do not open long enough to support full time working parents, a campaign group has claimed.

Fair Funding For Our Kids, external said only one in ten council-run centres provides the length of care to cover a full working day.

The childcare group requested details on nursery opening hours from all of Scotland's 32 local authorities.

Of 1,369 such centres, only 139 are open from 08:00 to 18:00 or longer, the Freedom of Information figures showed.

Read more here.

Green MSP Ross Greer asks about infrastructure in terms of building new nurseries.

Audit Scotland's Tricia Meldrum confirms this will likely be an issue.

Mr Greer asks for a breakdown of the £400m figure to be provided for infrastructure, particularly with regard to councils building on land it already owns and needed to acquire more land.

Ms Meldrum says there is not a breakdown available on how that £400m will be spent.

Labour MSP Johann Lamont comes back to the inclusion of admin staff in figures, asking about any work done on support staff required for the expansion.

Caroline Gardner says the support staff figures are more those who process applications from parents rather than those placed in nurseries.

Ms Lamont raises the deficit in access to places, wondering if the Scottish government calculation is on the number of children in the system or whether it acknowledges space for those not accessing their entitlement.

Audit Scotland's Rebecca Smallwood says the calculations for 1,140 free hours is based on population rather than uptake.

A scheme to provide up to £2,000 towards the annual cost of childcare was to be available to Scots working families from mid-February.

The UK Treasury said about 200,000 carers would be eligible for the support, which contributes towards the cost of children up to the age of 12.

The scheme will see the UK government pay £2 into a childcare account for every £8 paid in by parents.

Image source, Getty Images

Glitches in the HMRC website has caused problems for its rollout in England.

• Parents paid £1m over 'shambles' childcare scheme
• Scots childcare recruitment drive targets 11,000

The problems resulted in thousands of people in England struggling to either set up the tax-free accounts or access money they had already paid into them.

The new scheme will replace employer-supported childcare, including "childcare vouchers", which are currently only available to parents if their employer offers it.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener James Dornan asks about breaking down barriers in information between the DWP, the government and councils.

"We can't get the information out unless we have it."

Anthony Clark from Audit Scotland suggests health visitor could be key.

Tory MSP Liz Smith asks about problems around data gathering.

Rebecca Smallwood of Audit Scotland suggests the question may be better aimed at the Scottish government, but notes discussions are going on between it and the DWP.

Ms Smith wonders if parents are aware of what their entitlement is and if local authorities have done enough to raise awareness.

Caroline Gardner says some councils have done some good work on this, particularly around eligible two-year-olds.

Audit Scotland's Tricia Meldrum highlights one of the reports recommendations was to ensure more parents are awareness of what they are entitled to.

Labour MSP Mary Fee says "surely more staff will be needed" to deliver the expansion given the increased amount of children in the system.

The Auditor General says the Scottish government figures are based on ratio calculations while council have used a model which scales up current arrangements.

"We suspect Scottish government figures are on the low side", Ms Gardner says, warning it will struggle to get staff in place.

This may make it difficult to get the childcare target of 1,140 in place by August 2020, she adds.

Committee convener James Dornan asks for clarification on the difference between figures given by the Scottish government and councils.

Ms Gardner says it is not surprising there is a difference as councils have worked it out from the bottom-up while government's does it top-down.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott pivots to workforce number figure discrepancies.

Audit Scotland's Rebecca Smallwood explains that council figures in the report include council staff who are admin staff, while government figures only takes practitioners into account.

Different approaches to modelling have also been taken, she adds.