Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the availability of high-quality childcare in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry.

The department is determined to support as many families as possible with access to high-quality and affordable childcare. The Spring Budget 2023 announced significant new investments to expand the free early education entitlements from 2024/25, together with uplifts in 2023/24 and 2024/25 for the existing entitlement offers.

Eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of childcare per week, for 38 weeks of the year, from when their child is 9 months old to when they start school.

The government is committed to ensuring that every child in an early years setting, regardless of their background or any additional needs they may have, receives high-quality education and care.

Access to high-quality childcare ensures children and families can fulfil their potential, helping children to learn in their earliest years, and supporting a functioning economy by enabling parents to work.

The department knows that children are accessing high-quality childcare because as of August 2022, 96% of providers on the Early Years Register were rated Good or Outstanding, up from 74% in 2012.

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.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.