North-East MSP Richard Baker has today called on the Scottish Government to put investment behind its words on improved service for vulnerable children.

The Scottish Government has announced plans to create a single national body that would bring together the various bodies involved in the Children’s Hearings system.

The MSP is stressing that this structural change can be of no real benefit if Aberdeen and Grampian suffers from a national policy which creates a postcode lottery when it comes to key children’s services including nursery places for vulnerable two-year-olds and the protection of needy children.

The MSP’s response comes after the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) in 2006-2007 received over 100,000 referrals across Scotland involving 55,000 children and 42,000 hearings were held, the majority of referrals being related to such as parental neglect.

Richard Baker has suggested that one solution would be to increase the number of nursery places across Grampian.

Richard Baker has tabled a series of parliamentary questions that asks if the government’s plans to support a review into children’s services in the north-east.

The MSP has also requested a breakdown of the figures in Grampian to see where the region stands in its performance, in delivering children’s services, when compared to the rest of Scotland.

Richard Baker said:

"We need to ensure the right services are there for children from vulnerable backgrounds so that they do not have to become involved in the Children's Hearing System later in life.

"The SNP have got the wrong priorities when they fail to establish national schemes such as nursery places for vulnerable two year olds and other key children's services.

"I will be campaigning in parliament and locally to ensure that vulnerable children in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire do suffer from what will become a postcode lottery for these key services."