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<p>The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare. The key measure
of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the
requirements of parents and children. Ofsted data currently shows that the number
of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable
at 1.3 million places since August 2015. The Ofsted data is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022/main-findings-childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022/main-findings-childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022</a>.</p><p>Under
Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring
that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents
in their area. At present, Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency, which is covered
by Cheshire West local authority, are reporting that they are fulfilling their duty
to ensure sufficient childcare.</p><p>The department is committed to improving the
cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare
more affordable and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are
entitled to. The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare
and early years provision in England, and fees data can be broken down to local authority
level. Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency falls within Cheshire West local authority,
where the latest data shows the average hourly fee band for childcare is £4.75 for
2-year-old children and £4.75 for 3 and 4-year-old children.</p><p> </p>
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