National rules 'may limit rural childcare'

National rules and regulations which have been developed with urban settings in mind may constrict the growth of childcare provision in rural areas, according to a report published by the Scottish Executive last week. The Scottish National Rural Partnership, which includes representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, consulted with childcare organisations among others to produce its report. It observes that applying uniform national standards can add significantly to the cost of providing all kinds of services in remote rural areas and can also discourage community involvement.