Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of nursery places in Essex.

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

This government is boosting availability and access through the School-based Nursery programme, supporting school-led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers and childminders operating from school sites. Phase 1 is already delivering results, with £37 million awarded to 300 primary-phase schools, including 13 in Essex, creating up to 6,000 new childcare places in total.

The department is due to announce successful Phase 2 projects in spring 2026.

Where Essex reports any sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.