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1491428

registered interest
date	21/07/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Children: Day Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long on average people who are claiming Universal Credit are having to wait to be reimbursed for childcare costs as of 21 July 2022.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Where childcare is delivered during an assessment period, the cost paid for that childcare will be reimbursed at the end of the assessment period in which it is delivered. In order to be reimbursed, childcare costs can be reported to DWP up to the end of the assessment period following the assessment period in which they were paid.</p><p> </p><p>The exact waiting time for reimbursement, therefore, depends on how far in advance a claimant pays their childcare provider and how soon the claimant reports those costs to DWP.</p><p /><p>UC claimants who need help with upfront childcare costs to enter employment or significantly increase their working hours can apply for help from the Flexible Support Fund (FSF). This is non-repayable and will pay their initial childcare costs directly to the provider up to the first salary received.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 05/09/2022 15:57:25 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

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

1491515

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 assessment the Government has made of the adequacy of opportunities for training available to staff in the childcare sector.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>As part of education recovery and in response to the needs of the workforce following the COVID-19 pandemic, the department is investing up to £180 million in the early years sector. This will build a stronger workforce and enable providers to deliver high-quality teaching and help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the youngest children, particularly those in the most disadvantaged areas.</p><p>The workforce investment includes two further phases of the early years professional development programme, building on an initial £20 million programme. This high quality, evidence-based programme is targeted at practitioners in disadvantaged areas. It will provide targeted support to early years staff in communication and language, maths, and personal, social, and emotional development.</p><p>In response to feedback from the sector, the department is supporting up to 5,000 early years staff and childminders to become qualified Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCo).</p><p>The department is also developing new early years training routes. Employer trailblazer groups have developed level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, and, in August 2021, the department launched a level 5 apprenticeship. From April 2021, free level 3 early years qualifications became available through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:32:02 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491516

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 staff in the childcare sector who are paid the National Minimum Wage.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42023
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The latest figures from the department’s education 'Providers’ finances: survey of childcare and early years providers', collected in 2021, show that 22% of staff aged 23 and over working in a private or voluntary setting, nursery class or maintained nursery school were paid at or below the statutory minimum of the National Living Wage, the survey can be accessed here: <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>At the time of the survey, the rate for both the National Living Wage (for those aged 23 and over) and for the National Minimum wage (for those of at least school leaving age) was £8.72 until April 2021 and £8.91 from April 2021.</p><p>Some 65% of childminders were paid below these rates. However, as childminders are self-employed, the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage do not apply.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:30:21 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491517

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 number of childcare providers in each region of the UK.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for Wirral South, and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:40:57 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491518

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 number of childcare places available for children below school age in each region of the UK.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for Wirral South, and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:08:43 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491520

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, if he will make a comparative assessment of funding for childcare below school age as a proportion of national income in (a) the UK and (b) other OECD countries.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The department has invested more than £3.5 billion in each of the last three years to deliver our early education entitlements.</p><p>The information requested is not held by the department but has been published previously by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its Education at a Glance 2021 report.</p><p>The OECD publishes data on expenditure for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). This shows that the UK spent 0.3% of GDP on pre-primary education and care (ISCED 02)[1], compared to the OECD average of 0.6%. The differences on expenditure are largely explained by enrolment rates, legal entitlements, and the intensity of participation, as well as the different starting ages for primary education. The UK has one of the earliest primary school starting ages in the OECD, with most children starting at age 4. Therefore, the window for pre-primary education and spend is smaller than in many other OECD countries. This information is available at: <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/financing-of-early-childhood-education-and-care-isced-0-and-change-in-expenditure-2018_b62e6aba-en" target="_blank">https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/financing-of-early-childhood-education-and-care-isced-0-and-change-in-expenditure-2018_b62e6aba-en</a>.</p><p>[1] ISCED 02 refers to the UNESCO pre-primary education term. A full definition is available at: <a href="http://uis.unesco.org/node/3674229" target="_blank">http://uis.unesco.org/node/3674229</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 09:10:16 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491524

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, if his Department will make an estimate of the average proportion of household income that families spent on childcare in each region of the UK in the latest period for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The department does not hold the average proportion of household income that families spent on childcare in each region of the UK and, therefore, cannot provide an estimate for this question.</p><p>The 2022 Coram Family and Childcare Survey outlines the average prices of childcare in Great Britain and does contain a regional breakdown. This information is available here: <a href="https://www.coram.org.uk/sites/default/files/resource_files/Coram%20Childcare%20Survey%20-%202022.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.coram.org.uk/sites/default/files/resource_files/Coram%20Childcare%20Survey%20-%202022.pdf</a></p><p>The 2019 childcare and early years survey of parents provided some details around the average weekly costs of childcare in each region. This information is available on GOV.UK here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2019</a>.</p><p>The table below splits out the mean and median family-level weekly payment for childcare by region. These payments are for families with a child aged 0 to 4, who paid a childcare provider (or providers) in a specific week for their children aged 0 to 14.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Region</strong></p></td><td><p>Median (£)</p></td><td><p>Mean (£)</p></td><td><p>Standard Error</p></td><td><p><em>Unweighted base </em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>31.00</p></td><td><p>53.18</p></td><td><p>4.78</p></td><td><p><em>102</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>40.00</p></td><td><p>68.87</p></td><td><p>6.10</p></td><td><p><em>333</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorkshire and the Humber</p></td><td><p>44.10</p></td><td><p>69.47</p></td><td><p>5.74</p></td><td><p><em>297</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>61.58</p></td><td><p>84.99</p></td><td><p>8.08</p></td><td><p><em>212</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>43.46</p></td><td><p>68.92</p></td><td><p>7.07</p></td><td><p><em>300</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East of England</p></td><td><p>42.54</p></td><td><p>74.56</p></td><td><p>6.79</p></td><td><p><em>260</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>91.97</p></td><td><p>135.51</p></td><td><p>13.89</p></td><td><p><em>233</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South East</p></td><td><p>45.00</p></td><td><p>80.58</p></td><td><p>6.07</p></td><td><p><em>361</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>44.00</p></td><td><p>60.12</p></td><td><p>4.05</p></td><td><p><em>246</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The survey also showed that the overall median weekly amount paid by families to childcare providers (including both formal and informal providers) was £45.00.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 08:25:32 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1491525

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, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the ability of families to access childcare.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	42030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The government has spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on the early education entitlements and continues to help families with their childcare bills through Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit.</p><p>On 4 July 2022, the department also announced further measures to increase take-up of childcare support and reduce the costs and bureaucracy facing providers. These reforms will help address the costs of childcare for thousands of working parents through a renewed drive to ensure parents access the support they are entitled to, ensuring government regulation is proportionate and providing greater flexibility for providers to be responsive to changing needs.</p><p>The government recognises the pressure on families relating to the cost of living and has announced £37 billion of support targeted at those most in need.</p> answering member constituency Bassetlaw answering member printed Brendan Clarke-Smith question first answered 05/09/2022 07:58:11 answering member 4756 label Biography information for Brendan Clarke-Smith
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern