Accessible and Affordable Childcare 2022-11-28
2022-11-28
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP seeks clarity on steps being taken to ensure childcare is both accessible and affordable, highlighting the importance of these issues for families.
What steps he is taking to help ensure childcare is (a) accessible and (b) affordable.
We are committed to improving the cost, choice and accessibility of childcare, and have spent more than £20 billion over the last five years supporting families with the cost of childcare.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific steps and commitments on affordability and accessibility were not detailed
We Are Committed To
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP criticises the Government for underfunding childcare, resulting in increased costs and reduced access. Ofsted data reveals a significant number of childcare providers have closed within the year to March 2022.
The Government are knowingly underfunding the entitlement to 15 or 30 hours of childcare by over £2 per hour, thereby forcing providers to cross-subsidise and leading to astronomical costs for parents. New Ofsted data shows that 4,000 childcare providers closed within the year to March 2022, thereby further limiting access to childcare. When parents are having to pay more for their childcare than on their rent or mortgage, and adults without children are saying that childcare costs are forcing them out of parenting and precluding them from that, does she agree that she and the Government are presiding over a broken childcare system?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question. Childcare is of course enormously important, and it is this Conservative Government who have expanded the childcare offer successively over a number of years. Last year in the spending review, we set out an additional £500 million to come into the sector, and we are also supporting private providers with their energy bills this year.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific acknowledgment of underfunding and its impact on childcare system were not addressed
We Are Committed To
Expanding The Childcare Offer Successively
Response accuracy