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1491690

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of levels of nursery care costs on economic productivity and output.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	42181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The government recognises the importance of families being able to access affordable childcare, including nursery care, in allowing parents to work.</p><p> </p><p>The government offers a range of support for parents to help with childcare costs, including access to early education through the Department for Education’s free hours entitlements, and financial support with childcare through Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) and Universal Credit (UC) childcare offers.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to this support, the government remains committed to driving down childcare costs for providers and parents. In July, it announced a series of measures to achieve this including consulting on increasing the number of children that can be looked after by each staff member in early years settings; taking action to grow the childminder market; reforming the way early years funding is distributed in England; and driving a renewed campaign to increase take-up of UC Childcare and TFC.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Alan Mak question first answered 05/09/2022 07:27:52 answering member 4484 label Biography information for Alan Mak
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1491520

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make a comparative assessment of funding for childcare below school age as a proportion of national income in (a) the UK and (b) other OECD countries.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42026
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The department has invested more than £3.5 billion in each of the last three years to deliver our early education entitlements.</p><p>The information requested is not held by the department but has been published previously by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its Education at a Glance 2021 report.</p><p>The OECD publishes data on expenditure for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). This shows that the UK spent 0.3% of GDP on pre-primary education and care (ISCED 02)[1], compared to the OECD average of 0.6%. The differences on expenditure are largely explained by enrolment rates, legal entitlements, and the intensity of participation, as well as the different starting ages for primary education. The UK has one of the earliest primary school starting ages in the OECD, with most children starting at age 4. Therefore, the window for pre-primary education and spend is smaller than in many other OECD countries. This information is available at: <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/financing-of-early-childhood-education-and-care-isced-0-and-change-in-expenditure-2018_b62e6aba-en" target="_blank">https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/financing-of-early-childhood-education-and-care-isced-0-and-change-in-expenditure-2018_b62e6aba-en</a>.</p><p>[1] ISCED 02 refers to the UNESCO pre-primary education term. A full definition is available at: <a href="http://uis.unesco.org/node/3674229" target="_blank">http://uis.unesco.org/node/3674229</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 09:10:16 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491530

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of families that require grandparents’ support for childcare.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42032
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>According to data from the 2021 Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents, 21% of families with children aged 0 to 4 used grandparents to help provide childcare for their children.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 09:05:36 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491703

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what free childcare is available during the school summer holidays.
	tabling member constituency	Enfield North
	tabling member printed	Feryal Clark
	uin	42260
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The government is providing childcare support in several ways. Support is available through Universal Credit, where working parents on a low income can claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs. Further support is available through Tax-Free Childcare, in which working parents can get up to £2,000 a year per child to pay for childcare, including holiday and out-of-school clubs. This is increased to up to £4,000 a year per child for those with disabilities</p><p>The department’s holiday activities and food (HAF) programme also provides free childcare places with healthy meals and enriching activities to children from low-income families, benefiting their heath, wellbeing and learning. The government has committed over £200 million per year for this programme, which is targeted primarily towards children who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). Local authorities also have discretion to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of FSM but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision. In summer 2021, the programme reached over 600,000 children and young people in England.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith grouped question UIN 42259 question first answered 05/09/2022 08:44:02 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4822 label Biography information for Feryal Clark

1491702

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact of school holidays on the ability of parents to secure childcare arrangements.
	tabling member constituency	Enfield North
	tabling member printed	Feryal Clark
	uin	42259
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The government is providing childcare support in several ways. Support is available through Universal Credit, where working parents on a low income can claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs. Further support is available through Tax-Free Childcare, in which working parents can get up to £2,000 a year per child to pay for childcare, including holiday and out-of-school clubs. This is increased to up to £4,000 a year per child for those with disabilities</p><p>The department’s holiday activities and food (HAF) programme also provides free childcare places with healthy meals and enriching activities to children from low-income families, benefiting their heath, wellbeing and learning. The government has committed over £200 million per year for this programme, which is targeted primarily towards children who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). Local authorities also have discretion to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of FSM but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision. In summer 2021, the programme reached over 600,000 children and young people in England.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith grouped question UIN 42260 question first answered 05/09/2022 08:44:02 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4822 label Biography information for Feryal Clark

1491517

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate the Government has made of the number of childcare providers in each region of the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42024
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for Wirral South, and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:40:57 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491515

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment the Government has made of the adequacy of opportunities for training available to staff in the childcare sector.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>As part of education recovery and in response to the needs of the workforce following the COVID-19 pandemic, the department is investing up to £180 million in the early years sector. This will build a stronger workforce and enable providers to deliver high-quality teaching and help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the youngest children, particularly those in the most disadvantaged areas.</p><p>The workforce investment includes two further phases of the early years professional development programme, building on an initial £20 million programme. This high quality, evidence-based programme is targeted at practitioners in disadvantaged areas. It will provide targeted support to early years staff in communication and language, maths, and personal, social, and emotional development.</p><p>In response to feedback from the sector, the department is supporting up to 5,000 early years staff and childminders to become qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCo).</p><p>The department is also developing new early years training routes. Employer trailblazer groups have developed level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, and, in August 2021, the department launched a level 5 apprenticeship. From April 2021, free level 3 early years qualifications became available through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:32:02 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491516

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate the Government has made of the proportion of staff in the childcare sector who are paid the National Minimum Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42023
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The latest figures from the department’s education 'Providers’ finances: survey of childcare and early years providers', collected in 2021, show that 22% of staff aged 23 and over working in a private or voluntary setting, nursery class or maintained nursery school were paid at or below the statutory minimum of the National Living Wage, the survey can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providers-finances-survey-of-childcare-and-ey-providers-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providers-finances-survey-of-childcare-and-ey-providers-2021</a>.</p><p>At the time of the survey, the rate for both the National Living Wage (for those aged 23 and over) and for the National Minimum wage (for those of at least school leaving age) was £8.72 until April 2021 and £8.91 from April 2021.</p><p>Some 65% of childminders were paid below these rates. However, as childminders are self-employed, the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage do not apply.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:30:21 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491512

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate the Government has made of the proportion of employers in the childcare sector that would relax staff-to-child ratios in the event that Government guidelines are changed.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42020
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The government is consulting on moving to the Scottish ratios for two-year-olds, from a ratio of one-to-four (one adult to four children) to one-to-five (one adult to five children). The government is also considering how we can provide greater flexibility within ratios for childminders.</p><p>Alongside this consultation, the department is running a bespoke survey of early years providers to help us understand how the proposed changes to staff to child ratios in early years settings might affect provision, including their intention to adopt any changes. The results of this survey will be published.</p><p>Our priority continues to be to provide safe, high quality early years provision for our youngest children. Throughout this consultation process we are engaging fully with the sector and parents and carers.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:26:04 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491524

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will make an estimate of the average proportion of household income that families spent on childcare in each region of the UK in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	42029
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The department does not hold the average proportion of household income that families spent on childcare in each region of the UK and, therefore, cannot provide an estimate for this question.</p><p>The 2022 Coram Family and Childcare Survey outlines the average prices of childcare in Great Britain and does contain a regional breakdown. This information is available here: <a href="https://www.coram.org.uk/sites/default/files/resource_files/Coram%20Childcare%20Survey%20-%202022.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.coram.org.uk/sites/default/files/resource_files/Coram%20Childcare%20Survey%20-%202022.pdf</a></p><p>The 2019 childcare and early years survey of parents provided some details around the average weekly costs of childcare in each region. This information is available on GOV.UK here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2019</a>.</p><p>The table below splits out the mean and median family-level weekly payment for childcare by region. These payments are for families with a child aged 0 to 4, who paid a childcare provider (or providers) in a specific week for their children aged 0 to 14.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Region</strong></p></td><td><p>Median (£)</p></td><td><p>Mean (£)</p></td><td><p>Standard Error</p></td><td><p><em>Unweighted base </em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>31.00</p></td><td><p>53.18</p></td><td><p>4.78</p></td><td><p><em>102</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>40.00</p></td><td><p>68.87</p></td><td><p>6.10</p></td><td><p><em>333</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorkshire and the Humber</p></td><td><p>44.10</p></td><td><p>69.47</p></td><td><p>5.74</p></td><td><p><em>297</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>61.58</p></td><td><p>84.99</p></td><td><p>8.08</p></td><td><p><em>212</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>43.46</p></td><td><p>68.92</p></td><td><p>7.07</p></td><td><p><em>300</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East of England</p></td><td><p>42.54</p></td><td><p>74.56</p></td><td><p>6.79</p></td><td><p><em>260</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>91.97</p></td><td><p>135.51</p></td><td><p>13.89</p></td><td><p><em>233</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South East</p></td><td><p>45.00</p></td><td><p>80.58</p></td><td><p>6.07</p></td><td><p><em>361</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>44.00</p></td><td><p>60.12</p></td><td><p>4.05</p></td><td><p><em>246</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The survey also showed that the overall median weekly amount paid by families to childcare providers (including both formal and informal providers) was £45.00.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:25:32 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern