Teachers have called for an investigation into the implications of the named-person policy amid fears over a "big black hole" in how the service will be provided.

Delegates at the EIS annual general meeting in Dundee backed a motion calling on the union's council to investigate and report on the "workload, contractual and legal implications arising from the role of the named person".

READ MORE: 64% of Scots say named-person policy is an 'unacceptable intrusion'

The policy, due to be rolled out across Scotland in August, will assign a single point of contact such as a teacher or health visitor to look out for the welfare of children under 18.

Speaking in favour of the motion, EIS council member David Baxter said while there was support for the provisions under the Children and Young People (Scotland) 2014 Act, he believed extra resources were needed.

He said: "There appears to be a big black hole surrounding the provision of the service that needs to be questioned, namely teachers' contractual rights.

"The named-person role as a statutory responsibility cannot be ignored. The undertaking of this role will require time and it will require resources, and all of this has to fit into our terms and conditions."

He added: "There are questions to be answered. What happens during holidays? What happens out of hours? What happens if the post is shared? Who then is designated as the named person?

"The reality is that young people will end up with several named people in term times and holidays."

Mr Baxter continued: "Any local authority that claims this is merely a continuation of good practice is at risk of burying their head in the sand and ignoring the potential risk.

"Make no mistake, there is a huge potential for this to become yet another driver of excessive workload for promoted and non-promoted teachers.

"The last thing our profession needs is another great idea brought in on the cheap."

Fellow council member John Swinburne said the policy would create a "vast, expensive bureaucracy to no effect".

He added: "It will divert resources from vulnerable children who really need them and it has been got through because people don't understand the implications of this.

"It is a misguided, stupid, nonsensical piece of legislation, and who will pick up the tab for it? It's high time that we're really, really clear about that."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We are committed to tackling bureaucracy and freeing up our teachers to teach. The Scottish Government has been working with unions, local authorities and other partners to address concerns over workload.

"In Highland, where the named person was piloted, there was a reduction in the workload of hard-pressed staff, which has been welcomed by families.

"The Scottish Government is also providing local authorities with an extra £9.8 million in 2016-17 to support them with support to address any workload issues for schools while the new systems are bedding in.

"We have provided guidance on arrangements over the holiday periods to ensure that young people's interests are safeguarded at all times. Local authorities are responsible for putting in place arrangements to ensure continuity of the service during holiday periods."