Early Education and Childcare

Freddie van Mierlo Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Morgan]

That is fantastic news to hear. My hon. Friend regularly engages with schools and nurseries across his constituency to make sure he is aware of the issues and challenges they are facing, and he works really closely with those schools and nurseries to ensure that we bring about the change that people voted for last July.

[Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)]

Nursery fees are crippling, running to thousands of pounds per child per month after the expansion of funded hours. Parents are making reproductive choices solely on the basis of the cost of childcare—is it any wonder that the total fertility rate in this country has plummeted? Does the Minister consider this to be “job done”, or will he commit to radically reducing the cost of childcare?

[Stephen Morgan]

This is absolutely not “job done”—it is the start of the next journey of change, to make sure that every child gets the best start in life. We want to make life easier for parents across the country. The things I am announcing today will make a difference, but there is more for this Government to do.