Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the amount of money disbursed from public funds on childcare, including on (a) children too young to go to school, (b) before-school activities, (c) after-school activities and (d) school holiday activities (i) in total and (ii) for children aged (A) one, (B) two, (C) three, (D) four, (E) five, (F) six, (G) seven, (H) eight, (I) nine, (J) ten and (K) 11 in each of the last fifteen years.

The department does not hold all of the requested information. However, the department does hold the data in the two attached tables:

1. Payments made to local authorities for government-funded childcare for 2, 3, and 4-year-olds, as part of the dedicated schools grant since the 2013/14 financial year (tab 1 in the spreadsheet).
2. Mean child-level weekly payments for childcare for 0 to 2-year-olds, 3 to 4-year-olds, 5 to 7-year-olds, 8 to 11-year-olds, and 12 to 14-year-olds. This is taken from the department’s childcare and early years survey of parents. It should be noted that the department only holds this data back to 2014. For the 2019 survey, the focus shifted to preschool children following a user consultation in 2018. As such, the data only covers 0 to-4-year-olds (tab 2 in the spreadsheet).

In addition, the holiday activities and food programme was expanded to all local authorities in England in 2021. This programme provides free holiday club places with healthy meals and enriching activities to school-aged children who receive benefits-related free school meals.

A breakdown of expenditure is not available for the age groups specified in the question. However, the department is investing over £200 million a year in this programme. Allocations at local authority level for the 2022/23 financial year are in the department’s grant determination letter, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1042274/Grant_determination_letter_-_HAF_2022_Final.pdf.

The government’s range of childcare support includes 15 hours free early education for all 3- and 4-year-olds, which can help save parents over £3,000 per year. In 2013, this was extended to the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds.

In 2017, the department introduced an additional 15 hours free childcare for working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds, bringing the total amount of available childcare to eligible parents to 30 hours. This can save parents over £6,000 per year. To be eligible for this, a lone parent must earn from just over £7,900 a year, and a couple (where both are working) from just over £15,800 per year.

The government has also introduced Tax-Free Childcare, available for working parents of children aged 0-11 (or up to 16 if their child is disabled) with the same income thresholds as 30 hours free childcare. This scheme can save parents up to £2,000 per year (or up to £4,000 for children with disabilities) and can be used alongside 30 hours free childcare.

Working parents on a low income may also be eligible for help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through the childcare element of Universal Credit. This is subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children aged 0-16.