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Early Years Providers: Government Support
09 July 2025
Lead MP
Michelle Welsh
Sherwood Forest
Lab
Responding Minister
Stephen Morgan
Tags
Employment
Word Count: 13160
Other Contributors: 14
At a Glance
Michelle Welsh raised concerns about early years providers: government support in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Welsh asks for confirmation from the Minister whether family hubs might be established in her constituency of Sherwood Forest and reassures about the role that childminders will play in the Best Start programme.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Too often the early years are left out of education discussions. Michelle Welsh highlights that in her constituency, over 4,000 children live in poverty and almost one in four children are on free school meals, with half not reaching a good level of development by age five. She also mentions the widening attainment gap between children on free school meals and their peers.
Cameron Thomas
Lab
Bolton North East
Asked how to attract more men into early years education to provide positive male role models for children who lack them at home or in their families. Called for the Government to incorporate childminders within SEND training for early years staff.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
My hon. Friend highlights the issue of late identification of SEND and delayed support for children, suggesting more investment into funding specialist training for pre-school educators.
Caroline Voaden
Con
South Devon
The hon. Member highlights the importance of high-quality early years education and stresses that quality should be prioritised over just hours of childcare. She calls for better support for the early years workforce, including more training and simplified regulation to attract new childminders. Rainbow nursery in Totnes serves not only the town but the wider area and is struggling with covering its costs under the new arrangements, leading to concerns about sustainability of early years provision in rural areas. The hon. Member for South Devon mentioned the issue of screens and suggested that overuse is detrimental to young people's development.
West Dorset
Over the weekend, I was approached by the head of a primary school who told me that with the expansion of the number of hours and the rate that they are being paid, the school will close within 18 months due to insufficient Government funding.
Henley and Thame
Discusses high costs of nursery care for parents in his constituency and questions the Government's decision not to exempt nurseries from additional national insurance contributions.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
The Chair of the Education Committee highlighted the need to shift focus on early years provision towards helping parents prepare their children for school through play and reducing screen time.
Chichester
Quality early years education is the single best investment that any Government can make in the future of our society. It supports children’s development at a critical stage of their lives and lays the groundwork for future educational attainment, wellbeing and opportunity. Welcomed Best Start hubs and asked the Minister to reassure parents that play will continue as the bedrock of early years teaching throughout key stage 1. Also mentioned concerns about funding for maintained nurseries.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The hon. Member discusses the importance of early years support, citing a survey that found nearly 85% of parents had their return to work impacted by childcare costs and almost a quarter reported childcare consumed nearly a full wage in the household.
Juliet Campbell
Lab
Broxtowe
The hon. Member welcomes Government efforts to make early years provision accessible but highlights disparities in access based on income levels, with only 36% of lower-income families using formal childcare services compared to 73% of higher-earning families.
Laura Trott
Con
Sevenoaks
Called on the Government to provide more relief to early years providers from NICs and ensure social workers are aware of local provision to direct families in need. Asked the Minister to ask for funding bids to be made to the Treasury.
Lisa Smart
LD
Hazel Grove
High-quality early years education is crucial, but nurseries face ongoing challenges such as increased staffing costs and changes to business rates. The Stockport private providers network includes 63 day nurseries, 22 pre-schools, 220 childminders, and eight independent nurseries.
Connor Rand
Lab
Altrincham and Sale West
The hon. Member welcomes the Government’s £2 billion extra investment in early years entitlement and mentions the Early Education and Childcare Coalition's positive reception to the strategy.
Tiverton and Minehead
Questions the Minister about the balance between childcare access through school-based nurseries and the risk of passing basic life skill teaching responsibilities to primary teachers, highlighting concerns over resource strain and standard lowering.
Sarah Dyke
LD
Glastonbury and Somerton
Sarah Dyke highlights the importance of early identification of special educational needs and disabilities, emphasizing the need for sufficient funding to match government strategy. Nurseries face unsustainable costs and funding models that are becoming uncontrollable, with many providers struggling. The 83% increase in funding is far less than the 250% increase in wages since 1999.
Government Response
Stephen Morgan
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education
Government Response
The Minister outlined the Government's vision for improving outcomes in early childhood education, including a record uplift in the early years pupil premium, funding for new school-based nurseries and breakfast clubs, and rolling out 30 hours of funded childcare. He announced an investment of close to £1.5 billion over three years to improve accessibility and quality of early education. The Minister also detailed plans to enhance workforce development and career progression in the sector through a professional register and evidence-informed frameworks. We are investing more than £8 billion on the early years entitlements this year, rising to over £9 billion next financial year. The Government has introduced a £75 million expansion grant and almost doubled the early years pupil premium. Our hourly funding rate covers core costs and takes inflation into account. We also provide supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools facing additional costs. Best Start family hubs will receive £500 million of investment from 2025 to 2029, ensuring every child has access to vital support services.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.