Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has accused the First Minister of misleading Parliament during his weekly question time after claiming official figures contradict comments made about nursery teacher numbers.
Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has accused the First Minister of misleading Parliament during his weekly question time after claiming official figures contradict comments made about nursery teacher numbers.
Mr Macintosh insists that a claim in the chamber by Mr Salmond that the number of qualified teachers in Scottish nurseries is "substantially increasing" under the current Scottish Government is simply untrue - and he is refusing to let the issue go.
The Eastwood MSP said he has checked the figures with civil servants and he claims it is "now quite clear" that the First Minister did mislead the chamber with his answer.
He said this was because using the measure for "whole time equivalent" staff avoids double counting those who work part-time in more than one nursery - the upshot being there were 1672 qualified teachers in nurseries on this year's census date, 14 fewer than last year.
He has written to Mr Salmond stating: "As you can appreciate this is a matter of great importance to all members of the Scottish Parliament who wish to hold ministers to account.
"I would welcome your comments on how to address the specific circumstances I have outlined on the issue of nursery teachers.
"I would also welcome your advice in general on the procedure to be followed when you as First Minister give an inaccurate reply in response to a parliamentary question."
Mr Macintosh told The Herald: "I am not accusing Mr Salmond of lying but he is prone to bluster and condescending put-downs.
"How are we supposed to take the First Minister seriously if he won't correct himself?"
But a spokesman for Adam Ingram, the junior education minister, said yesterday: "Mr Macintosh is talking rubbish and he knows it.
"The fact is, as ministers have repeatedly made clear in Parliament, the figures on nursery teachers last year and this year are simply not comparable."
