Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect on the ability of working parents to access services of the difference in opening hours and term dates between maintained and non-maintained childcare and early education providers.

We encourage all providers to offer childcare that works for everyone. Many providers that cannot or do not want to run provision from 8.00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m. throughout the year work in partnership to make this kind of offer available to parents. We have supported this approach, for example by publishing practical advice on working in partnership, and by allowing childminders to spend up to half of their time working on non-domestic premises.

In addition, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare for working parents for children aged 0-14 (or up to 18 for disabled children). They should report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting this statutory duty, and make this report available to parents.

Local authorities must also maintain a service that provides information to parents and prospective parents on the provision of childcare in their area, and, from 1 September 2017, publish this information on the local authority’s website and update it at least termly.