Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the ability of local authorities to provide sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities in their local authority areas.

Local authorities are required to secure sufficient childcare in their area, so far as is practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 (or up to 18 for disabled children). They should report annually to elected members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and make this report available and accessible to parents.

The duty on local authorities to secure sufficient places is described in Part B of 'Early education and childcare' (statutory guidance for local authorities): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718179/Early_education_and_childcare-statutory_guidance.pdf.