Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if the Department will make an assessment of the merits of redefining childcare as infrastructure.

The Planning Act 2008, Part 11, provides the legislative framework for the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

Section 216(1) of the 2008 Act means that CIL must be spent on the provision, improvement, replacement, operation, or maintenance of infrastructure.

Section 216(2) of that Act contains an illustrative list of kinds of infrastructure that CIL may be spent on and in subsection (2)(c) express reference is made to schools and other educational facilities.

This allows the levy to be used to fund a broad range of facilities, which may include childcare facilities.