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<p>One of the signs of a healthy and competitive market is that childcare providers
may enter and exit it. The key measure of market health monitored by the department
is whether local authorities believe that the supply of available places is sufficient
to meet the requirements of parents and children in their area, rather than whether
changes occur in the number and type of providers.</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. The parliamentary
constituency of Lancaster and Fleetwood is in the local authority of Lancashire. At
present, all local authorities, including Lancashire, report that they are fulfilling
their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.</p><p>The department continues to look
at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded
support that they are entitled to. We collect data on the main characteristics of
childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to
local authority level.</p><p>The latest data shows that the mean hourly fee band for
Lancashire local authority is £4.50 for 2-year-olds and £4.75 for 3 and 4-year-olds.</p>
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