We recognise that access to, and the availability of, affordable childcare is a key factor in enabling women to enter, remain, and progress in the workplace. That is why this Government continues to support families with their childcare costs.<\/p>
All three- and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare each week, providing children with high-quality early education, and helping parents to return to work. We have also spent over £3.5bn in each of the past three years on early education entitlements; and, at the Spending Review in October 2021, we announced additional funding for early years entitlements worth £160m in 2022-23, £180m in 2023-24 and £170m in 2024-25.<\/p>
The provision of affordable, high-quality childcare is just one way in which we are changing the culture of the workplace to ensure that parents can balance work and care. In addition, we have extended the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks\u2019 continuous service with their employer.<\/p>
Furthermore, the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme gives working families more choice and flexibility about who cares for their child in the first year, and when. We have recently launched an online tool to make it easier for parents to check if they are eligible for shared parental leave and pay.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kemi Badenoch"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Saffron Walden"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kemi Badenoch"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-03-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-03-03T14:19:28.383Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Day Care"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the availability of childcare on the retention of mothers in the workforce.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/473", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Preston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir Mark Hendrick"} ], "uin" : "129905"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1293613", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1293613/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQs 147072<\/a> and 148867<\/a> answered on 22 February 2021.<\/p>"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-03-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Day Care"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding tailored financial support for the wraparound holiday childcare sector to ensure women have adequate childcare support.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4656", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Layla Moran"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Oxford West and Abingdon"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Layla Moran"}
], "uin" : "160780"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1282615", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1282615/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Wraparound childcare is a Department for Education policy, therefore the Minister for Women and Equalities would not be best-placed to lead discussions on this issue with the Chancellor. The Equality Hub provides evidence and expertise to support cross-government work on economic and social recovery, working closely with the COVID-19 Taskforce and the relevant delivery departments. This includes working with the Department for Education to highlight the pressures faced by those balancing work with childcare, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we know that the majority of these pressures fall on women.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kemi Badenoch"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing tailored support to the wraparound childcare sector during the covid-19 outbreak to help tackle gender inequality.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4764", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Bell Ribeiro-Addy"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/820596", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/820596/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is committed to helping men and women to balance work and childcare between them. It is good for parents and children, as well as being an important way to address the Gender Pay Gap. Shared Parental Leave and the right to request flexible working enables parents to arrange work and care in a way that works for them. "}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Day Care"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "What steps the Government is taking to help (a) women and (b) men balance work with childcare responsibilities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4635", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Eddie Hughes"}
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