The government is in talks with Scottish Parliament to launch a National Citizen Service pilot in Scotland, the minister for civil society has revealed.

Rob Wilson made the announcement when responding to a question about increasing accessibility of the programme in Parliament at Cabinet Office questions yesterday.

“I am delighted that the NCS has taken part in every local authority across the country this year. There are projects now in Wales and Northern Ireland, and my officials are in discussions with the Scottish government to explore the possibility of a pilot in Scotland,” he said.

NCS launched in Wales in last month and is being delivered there by the Swansea-based company Engage4Life, that has previously delivered the programme in England.

The Cabinet Office launched the scheme in England in 2011. This year the NCS Trust, a community interest company, was set up to take on the administration of the programme in England.

Northern Ireland launched a pilot programme in 2012.

In 2012 the Welsh government rejected the offer of funding to launch a pilot but the Scottish government said the UK government had not responded to its offer to discuss piloting the scheme in Scotland.