Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provision of (a) 30 hours of free childcare and (b) tax-free childcare on the number of childcare information officers employed by local authorities.

The information requested is not held centrally. The provision of children information officers is a matter for individual local authorities.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide information, advice and assistance to parents and prospective parents on the provision of childcare in their area, including the 30 hours offer and HM Revenue and Customs Tax-Free Childcare. The government requires all local authorities to pass through 95% of their three and four year old funding to early years providers.

The department also provides direct support from officials and through our delivery partner, Childcare Works, to ensure they are best placed to deliver the government’s childcare offers.