It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Fovargue. I congratulate the hon. Member for Bath on securing this debate and discuss the importance of early years education in developing cognitive, social, and emotional skills in children. Nurseries, childminders, teachers, and parents have supported and educated our youngest children throughout the pandemic. The Government invests heavily in high-quality childcare through the universal 15 hours of free childcare for all three and four-year-olds, plus an additional 15 hours for working parents. In 2019, 71.8% of children achieved a good level of development at the end of the early years foundation stage profile compared to 51.7% in 2013—a remarkable achievement. The Government has spent over £3.5 billion annually on early education entitlements and increased hourly rates paid to childcare providers through an extra £44 million announced last year, ensuring no council receives less than £4.44 per hour for the three and four-year-old entitlements. Funding aligns with attendance data provided by local authorities, providing reassurance to providers. The Government has also provided significant support during the pandemic through business support packages, including access to the coronavirus job retention scheme, business rates discounts, recovery loans, and extensions of self-employment income support schemes. Additionally, there is investment in T-levels to provide a skills pipeline for the early years sector and funding for training staff to support children's learning and development, with £27 million allocated to support early language development through the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme. The number of places available for parents seeking childcare has remained broadly stable since August 2015, despite challenges posed by the pandemic.