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1506769

registered interest
date	20/09/2022
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 with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the cost of nursery places on household finances; and if the Government will provide more childcare support to parents.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	51817
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2022 answer text <p>The department has not made such assessments with Cabinet colleagues.</p><p>We continue to work across government to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and accessible and to encourage families to use their entitlements. In July 2022, we announced measures to increase take-up of childcare support and reduce the costs and bureaucracy facing providers. These plans give providers more flexibility and autonomy and ensure families can access government support to save them money on their childcare bills.</p><p>The department has a £1.2 million campaign underway via the Childcare Choices website to ensure that every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for. More information is available at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>The department is also working to expand the childminder market and encourage the growth of childminder agencies, which will enable greater access to this flexible, affordable form of care.</p><p>Data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development shows that the net cost of full-time, centre-based childcare in the UK in 2021 for couples was 26% of household income, taking account of childcare benefits for a couple where both parents earn 67% of the average wage and have two children aged 2 and 3. This has increased slightly over recent years, from 23% in 2012, 25% in 2015 and 2018 and from 26% in 2019.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 51819 question first answered 28/09/2022 10:56:47 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1506772

registered interest
date	20/09/2022
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 he has made with Cabinet colleagues of trends in the cost of childcare places as a proportion of average household incomes.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	51819
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2022 answer text <p>The department has not made such assessments with Cabinet colleagues.</p><p>We continue to work across government to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and accessible and to encourage families to use their entitlements. In July 2022, we announced measures to increase take-up of childcare support and reduce the costs and bureaucracy facing providers. These plans give providers more flexibility and autonomy and ensure families can access government support to save them money on their childcare bills.</p><p>The department has a £1.2 million campaign underway via the Childcare Choices website to ensure that every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for. More information is available at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>The department is also working to expand the childminder market and encourage the growth of childminder agencies, which will enable greater access to this flexible, affordable form of care.</p><p>Data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development shows that the net cost of full-time, centre-based childcare in the UK in 2021 for couples was 26% of household income, taking account of childcare benefits for a couple where both parents earn 67% of the average wage and have two children aged 2 and 3. This has increased slightly over recent years, from 23% in 2012, 25% in 2015 and 2018 and from 26% in 2019.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 51817 question first answered 28/09/2022 10:56:47 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1506773

registered interest
date	20/09/2022
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 has he made of trends in the availability of childcare places (a) nationally and (b) in York.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	51820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2022 answer text <p>The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare nationally. 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 stable at 1.3 million places since August 2015. We also discuss sufficiency of provision in our regular conversations with local authorities. Local authorities are not currently reporting any substantial sufficiency issues and we have not seen a substantial number of parents unable to secure a childcare place, either nationally or in York specifically.</p><p>According to findings from the 2021 childcare and early years providers survey, 70% of group-based providers reported having spare places in their full day provision and 49% reported having spare capacity on average across the week: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2021</a>.</p><p>The department does not hold information on the trends in the availability of childcare in York.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 27/09/2022 10:09:53 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1505863

registered interest
date	07/09/2022
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 discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the (i) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (ii) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential impact of rising energy bills on (A) nurseries and (B) other childcare providers.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	49209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2022 answer text <p>The government recognises and continues to assess the impact rising energy prices and inflation are having on nurseries, childminders and other childcare providers. Rising global prices of energy are likely to mean rising energy bills for childcare providers over the next two years, and that is why the government is taking action to support businesses, including those in the early years and childcare sector.</p><p>The Secretary of State meets regularly, and will continue to work closely with, his cabinet colleagues in the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy and HM Treasury to monitor the impacts on the early years and childcare sector.</p><p>On Thursday 8 September, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced measures to tackle current issues in the UK energy market, including the introduction of an Energy Price Guarantee to limit the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity.</p><p>Typical UK households will pay no more than £2,500 a year on their gas and electricity bill for the next two years from Saturday 1 October. This will save the average household £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This will be in addition to the announced £400 energy bills discount for all households and together they will bring costs close to where the energy price cap stands today. This will support childminders operating from their own home who are on domestic energy tariffs.</p><p>There will be a new six-month scheme for businesses and all non-domestic energy users, including charities and public sector organisations. Providers in all educational sectors will therefore be eligible, including providers of childcare on non-domestic premises like nurseries.</p><p>After this initial six-month scheme for non-domestic customers, the government will provide ongoing, focused support for vulnerable sectors. There will be a review in three months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 49210 question first answered 22/09/2022 16:49:21 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1505864

registered interest
date	07/09/2022
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 an assessment of the potential impact of rising energy bills for childcare providers on the cost of childcare in the next two years.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	49210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2022 answer text <p>The government recognises and continues to assess the impact rising energy prices and inflation are having on nurseries, childminders and other childcare providers. Rising global prices of energy are likely to mean rising energy bills for childcare providers over the next two years, and that is why the government is taking action to support businesses, including those in the early years and childcare sector.</p><p>The Secretary of State meets regularly, and will continue to work closely with, his cabinet colleagues in the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy and HM Treasury to monitor the impacts on the early years and childcare sector.</p><p>On Thursday 8 September, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced measures to tackle current issues in the UK energy market, including the introduction of an Energy Price Guarantee to limit the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity.</p><p>Typical UK households will pay no more than £2,500 a year on their gas and electricity bill for the next two years from Saturday 1 October. This will save the average household £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This will be in addition to the announced £400 energy bills discount for all households and together they will bring costs close to where the energy price cap stands today. This will support childminders operating from their own home who are on domestic energy tariffs.</p><p>There will be a new six-month scheme for businesses and all non-domestic energy users, including charities and public sector organisations. Providers in all educational sectors will therefore be eligible, including providers of childcare on non-domestic premises like nurseries.</p><p>After this initial six-month scheme for non-domestic customers, the government will provide ongoing, focused support for vulnerable sectors. There will be a review in three months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 49209 question first answered 22/09/2022 16:49:21 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1505326

registered interest
date	06/09/2022
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, whether he has plans to increase Government funding for early years providers.
tabling member constituency	Putney
tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
uin	48508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2022 answer text <p>The department has spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on its early education entitlements and the government will continue to support families with their childcare costs.</p><p>In the 2021 Spending Review, we announced additional funding of £160 million in the 2022/23 financial year, £180 million in the 2023/24 financial year and £170 million in the 2024/25 financial year, compared to the 2021/22 financial year. This is for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers and reflects cost pressures and changes in the number of eligible children anticipated at the time of the Spending Review.</p><p>For the 2022/23 financial year, the department has increased the hourly funding rates for all local authorities by 21p an hour for the 2-year-old entitlement and, for the vast majority of areas, by 17p an hour for the 3 and 4-year-old entitlement.</p><p>Over the summer, the department is consulting on proposals to update the formulae used to deliver the early years entitlements funding. This will ensure the funding system remains fair, effective and responsive to changing levels of need across different areas.</p><p>The department expects to announce the early years funding rates for local authorities for the 2023/24 financial year in the autumn in the normal way.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 27/09/2022 15:54:01 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1505366

registered interest
date	06/09/2022
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 potential impact of trends in the level of inflation on costs for (a) nurseries, (b) childminders and (c) other childcare providers.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	48438
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/09/2022 answer text <p>The department recognises and continues to assess the impact rising energy prices and inflation are having on nurseries, childminders and other childcare providers.</p><p>On Thursday 8 September, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced measures to tackle the root cause of the issues in the UK energy market including the introduction of an Energy Price Guarantee’ to limit the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity.</p><p>To support childminders operating from their own home who are on domestic energy tariffs, typical UK households will pay no more than £2,500 a year on their gas and electricity bill for the next two years from Saturday 1 October. This will save the average household £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This will be in addition to the announced £400 energy bills discount for all households and together they will bring costs close to where the energy price cap stands today.</p><p>There will be a new six-month scheme for businesses and all non-domestic energy users, including charities and public sector organisations. Providers in all educational sectors will therefore be eligible, including providers of childcare on non-domestic premises like nurseries.</p><p>After this initial six-month scheme for non-domestic customers, the government will provide ongoing, focused support for vulnerable sectors. There will be a review in three months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p><p>We will continue to work closely with the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy to monitor the impacts on the early years and childcare sector. We will share further detail with the sector in due course.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 48439 48440 48441 48442 question first answered 26/09/2022 15:34:35 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1505367

registered interest
date	06/09/2022
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 steps he is taking to support (a) nurseries, (b) childminders and (c) other childcare providers with the impact of rising levels of inflation.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	48439
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/09/2022 answer text <p>The department recognises and continues to assess the impact rising energy prices and inflation are having on nurseries, childminders and other childcare providers.</p><p>On Thursday 8 September, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced measures to tackle the root cause of the issues in the UK energy market including the introduction of an Energy Price Guarantee’ to limit the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity.</p><p>To support childminders operating from their own home who are on domestic energy tariffs, typical UK households will pay no more than £2,500 a year on their gas and electricity bill for the next two years from Saturday 1 October. This will save the average household £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This will be in addition to the announced £400 energy bills discount for all households and together they will bring costs close to where the energy price cap stands today.</p><p>There will be a new six-month scheme for businesses and all non-domestic energy users, including charities and public sector organisations. Providers in all educational sectors will therefore be eligible, including providers of childcare on non-domestic premises like nurseries.</p><p>After this initial six-month scheme for non-domestic customers, the government will provide ongoing, focused support for vulnerable sectors. There will be a review in three months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support.</p><p>We will continue to work closely with the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy to monitor the impacts on the early years and childcare sector. We will share further detail with the sector in due course.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 48438 48440 48441 48442 question first answered 26/09/2022 15:34:35 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

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

1491514

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 average hourly wage for staff in the childcare sector.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42021
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>According to survey estimates, the mean hourly pay (calculated as gross weekly earnings divided by contracted weekly work hours) for people working in the early years sector in 2021 was as follows, by provider type:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Early years provider type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Mean hourly pay (2021)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>All providers</p></td><td><p>£12.50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>All providers except childminders</p></td><td><p>£12.94</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Private providers</p></td><td><p>£11.94</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Voluntary providers</p></td><td><p>£11.58</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nursery classes</p></td><td><p>£18.78</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maintained nursery schools</p></td><td><p>£19.38</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Childminders</p></td><td><p>£8.23</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Table 12, <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> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:05:27 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern