Funded Childcare

Debate between David Johnston and Desmond Swayne

Monday 22nd January 2024 Commons Chamber

[David Johnston]

We have seen a 4% increase in the number of staff in 2023, compared with 2022. None the less, part of the reason why this is a phased implementation and expansion of childcare is to ensure that we have the number of staff we need, and in a couple of weeks we will be launching a big recruitment campaign to get more people into the sector.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Will the Minister name and shame those authorities that are being dilatory in publishing their rates?

[David Johnston]

I reserve the right to do that, but we hope that if we ring them up first and ask them to publish—with the threat of doing that if they do not—they will do so.