Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has to support women (a) returning to work and (b) accessing childcare after the covid-19 lockdown.

The Government recognises that many women face barriers to returning to work due to caring responsibilities. We have delivered, and continue to deliver, return to work programmes which provide training, support and employment opportunities across a variety of levels, sectors, and regions.

For example, we have awarded around £1.5 million to sixteen organisations supporting returners in the private sector. This fund provides parents and carers with a training and skills package to enable them to return to the labour market.

We have also launched returner programmes that target key workforces in the public sector, including social workers, health professionals and police investigators. The Return to Practice programme has supported over 300 health professionals to update their skills and knowledge and gain professional registration, so that they can secure employment. The Return to Social Work programme is recruiting up to 200 previously certified social workers into critical roles within local councils to support the Covid-19 pandemic response, providing them with training and placements.

The Government also recognises the importance of childcare to working parents. The closure of schools, nurseries, childminders and other childcare settings were from Friday 20 March, except for children who are vulnerable, and children whose parents are critical to the COVID-19 response was an important step to reducing the number of social interactions and thus flatten the upward curve of the COVID-19 outbreak.