Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Childcare

Monday 17 July 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister announced the largest ever investment in childcare in England, exceeding 8 billion by 2027.
  • Government is focusing on workforce issues and removing barriers to attract more childcare workers.
  • Funding will provide parents with support worth up to 6,500 a year from maternity leave to primary school.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gagan Mohindra Con South West Hertfordshire
Children & Families
Context

N/A

Question

What steps her Department is taking to increase the number of childcare places.

Answer from Claire Coutinho

At the spring statement, we announced the single largest investment in childcare in England ever. By 2027, the Government will be spending in excess of £8 billion, doubling the amount that we do now and helping working families with their childcare costs.

Answered
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Q2 Samantha Dixon Lab Chester North and Neston
Economy Children & Families
Context

Nurseries in Chester have reported difficulties despite the government's funding announcement. Five nurseries closed over five years.

Question

Good-quality childcare is essential to a child's early development, to parents and to the economy. The owners of the Best Friends Day Nursery and the Spinney Day Nursery in Chester have told me of the real struggle faced by so many nurseries across the country, despite the Government's latest funding announcement. Many have been forced to close, including five nurseries in the Hoole area alone in five years. What more will the Government do to alleviate the situation set out by my constituents?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

As I have mentioned, we are putting the single largest ever investment into childcare over the next few years, to provide funding to settings such as the one she mentioned. We are also looking at things such as workforce, which we know can be a challenge, making sure that we remove barriers to additional routes to entry.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Further actions beyond announced funding and workforce issues not specified.

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Q3 Gagan Mohindra Con South West Hertfordshire
Employment Children & Families
Context

New families moving out of London to start their families.

Question

South West Hertfordshire is home to lots of young couples, particularly those who have moved out of London to start their families. Could the Minister tell the House how her Department is supporting new parents as they return to work?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

That is a huge priority for this Government. The funding that we are setting out will provide parents with support worth, on average, £6,500 a year from maternity leave right up to primary school. We are doing additional work to support things such as wraparound care.

Answered
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Q4 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Children & Families
Context

Childcare providers are concerned about the lack of a coherent plan for expanding the early years workforce.

Question

Across the early years sector, nurseries and childminders are raising concerns that the Government have no coherent plan for the expansion of the early years workforce to meet the requirements of an expanded offer. The only ideas on the table so far are the relaxation of ratios and a reduction in the proportion of level 2 qualified staff—plans that the Sutton Trust has found could lead to worse outcomes for children. Why are this Government so uninterested in the quality of childcare and the outcomes that high-quality early years education delivers for children?

Answer from Claire Coutinho

The Government care about education standards. That is seen across every single result across the board, whether reading or maths results. It is this Government who care about education standards. Over 90% of our early years providers are rated good or outstanding. We will do everything we can to keep them that way.

How: Changing Subject

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