Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was provided from the public purse for early years (a) childcare, (b) children's centres, (c) nurseries and (d) other provisions in Bristol West constituency in 2015-16; how much such funding is allocated for (i) 2016-17 and (ii) 2017-18; and what estimate her Department has made of how many full-time equivalent places such funding supports.

Funding for the free early years entitlements is allocated on a local authority basis through the Dedicated Schools Grant. This funding covers childcare, nurseries and other early years provisions, including childcare via children’s centres. Local authorities have the freedom to determine how to fund other services delivered via their networks of children’s centres, including via the Business Rate Retention Scheme. Local authorities have the freedom to decide what children’s centre services are appropriate to meet local needs and statutory duties.

In 2015-16, the City of Bristol received £29.16m from central government for the early years entitlements (three- and four-year olds and two-year olds but not including the Early Years Pupil Premium). This funding supported 5,161 full-time equivalent places.

In 2016-17, the City of Bristol received a provisional £28.71m from central government for the early years entitlements (three- and four-year olds and two-year olds but not including the EYPP). This funding supported a provisional 5,082 full-time equivalent places.

The Government consulted earlier this year on proposals to ensure that early years funding is allocated efficiently and fairly across the country from 2017-18. Under such proposals the City of Bristol would have been allocated a provisional £32.56m from central government for the early years entitlements (three- and four-year olds including 30 hours childcare for working parents; two-year olds; and supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools). This funding would have supported a provisional 5,666 full-time equivalent places.

Government will announce a response to the consultation shortly, including 2017-18 funding for the City of Bristol.