Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the consultation on Childcare: regulatory changes published on 4 July 2022, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increasing childcare ratios on safety of children; and when he expects to announce the result of that consultation.

The consultation on ‘Childcare: regulatory changes’ closed on 16 September, and the department will respond in due course. Responses from this consultation will help to build the evidence base, including understanding more around the potential effect of safeguarding in the event that department guidelines are changed.

Alongside the consultation the department ran a survey of early years providers to establish the likely impact of the changes on providers. This survey will be published in due course.

The department’s priority continues to be to provide safe, high-quality early years provision for our youngest children.