The department does not monitor local authority compliance with section 1 of the Childcare Act 2006. We do continue to work closely with local authorities to improve outcomes for children, such as through the Partners in Practice programme, the special educational needs and disabilities reform programme, and our work to close the word gap announced in \u2018Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential: a plan to improve social mobility through education\u2019.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4113", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stratford-on-Avon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nadhim Zahawi"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-25T14:51:37.527Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Health"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department monitors compliance by English local authorities with requirements prescribed in section 1 of the Childcare Act 2006.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "155281"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/923282", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/923282/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department for Education has a ring-fenced apprenticeship budget which is set regardless of how much levy receipts are each year. This budget was £2.01 billion for the 2017-18 financial year and £2.23 billion for 2018-19.<\/p>
<\/p>
Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand led, and employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer and how many. We do not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them.<\/p>
<\/p>
Unspent funds are used to cover the ongoing training costs of apprentices that are already in training. They are also used to support levy-paying employers who spend more than the funds available in their accounts and to fund training for non-levy payers.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anne Milton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Guildford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anne Milton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "152761"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-20T16:09:59.927Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Apprentices: Taxation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of the underspend on the apprenticeship levy by April (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "153265"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/922352", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/922352/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
By 2019-20 we will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support \u2013 a record amount. This includes around £1 billion extra per year to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and fund the increase in hourly rates that we introduced in April 2017.<\/p>
Our average funding rates are based on the department\u2019s \u2018Review of Childcare Costs\u2019 which was described as \u201cthorough and wide ranging\u201d by the National Audit Office. The review looked at both current and future cost pressures.<\/p>
We continue to monitor delivery costs and have recently commissioned new research to provide us with further robust and detailed data of the costs of delivering childcare for under five-year-olds using a representative sample of early years providers.<\/p>
In terms of the rate of the National Living Wage, the independent Low Pay Commission makes recommendations taking in to account the state of the economy and evidence from a wide range of business and workers representatives.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4113", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stratford-on-Avon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nadhim Zahawi"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-20T16:20:46.577Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-12", "_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 Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment he has made of the effect of increases in the (a) national living wage and (b) minimum employer pensions contributions on the average hourly cost of providing childcare; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "152758"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/922353", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/922353/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We introduced the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF) in April 2017 to allocate government funding for the three-and four-year-old entitlement in a fair and transparent manner. We have been clear that getting the funding right is critical to the successful delivery of our entitlements for three-and four-year-olds. So, we have committed to keep under review the data underpinning the EYNFF and we continue to monitor and evaluate the impacts of our free entitlements and funding arrangements.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4113", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stratford-on-Avon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nadhim Zahawi"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-06-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-06-20T16:33:07.387Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pre-school Education: Finance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to review his policy on the early years national funding formula.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "152759"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/922354", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/922354/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The rollout of 30 hours\u2019 free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds has been a success, and 294,000 children benefited in the spring term, saving parents money and helping them to bring balance between work and family life.<\/p>
<\/p>
We continue to monitor both the implementation of 30 hours and also delivery costs. We have recently commissioned new research to provide us with further robust and detailed data of the costs of delivering childcare for under five-year-olds using a representative sample of early years providers.<\/p>
<\/p>
The department has awarded grants to the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) to develop new business sustainability resources for childcare providers, which are available online at: https://www.earlyyearsbusinesszone.org.uk/<\/a> and https://www.pacey.org.uk/business/<\/a>.<\/p>