Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are eligible for 30 hours free childcare in north each Lincolnshire.

The government set out in the 2015 Spending Review that nationally we expect 390,000 children to be eligible for 30 hours free childcare. This figure is derived from national survey data taken in January and is an average across the year. Estimates at a regional and local authority level are not available due to the relatively small population that we are estimating within sub national geographies.

We publish termly experimental statistics showing the number of children in a place. The most recent publication showed that 943 codes were issued in North East Lincolnshire and 974 children were in a 30 hours place in the summer term. The full publication – including a local authority level breakdown – is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-summer-term-2018.

As we move in to the second year of delivery, we will continue to publish management information on the number of codes issued for 30 hours. This will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated – the most recent publication on 12 July shows that 573 codes have already been issued in North East Lincolnshire for the start of the next academic year.