Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the financial effect on childcare providers of the grace period proposed by the Government's publication, 30 hour free childcare entitlement: delivery mode, Government consultation response.

As outlined in the consultation on the operational delivery of 30 hours, we are fully committed to implementing a grace period policy which strikes the balance of providing continuity of care for the child, is affordable for the taxpayer and practical to administer for local authorities and providers.

To smooth the process of administering the grace period, we will develop the existing national Eligibility Checking Service (which local authorities already use to check eligibility for free early learning for two-year-olds) to automatically calculate the grace period, minimising administrative burdens on local authorities and providers. We will also set a national grace period to ensure simplicity and clarity for parents and providers, and fair, consistent arrangements for children and families irrespective of where they live.