Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Ofsted report, Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 December 2016, what assessment she has made of the effect of the decrease in the number of childminders since August 2016 on the adequacy of provision of childcare.

Childminders are a valuable part of the childcare sector and we want to see them play a full role in the market. There were 44,000 childminders registered with Ofsted as at 31 December 2016. The total number fell by 700 (1.6%) in the period from August to December 2016, but this is a smaller fall than the 3.5% (1,600) in the previous period (31 March 2016 to 31 August 2016). These falls are partly offset by an increase in the number of early years places childminders offer. The average number of early years places offered by each childminder has increased from 5.1 at 31 August 2012 to 6.1 at 31 December 2016 (this average includes childminders working with assistants). Alongside this, quality has continued to rise, so on 31 December 2016, 91% childminders were judged good or outstanding, up from 89% in August 2016.

We are taking a number of steps to encourage more childminders into the market. They can now spend up to half of their time working from non-domestic premises – opening up new partnership opportunities. We have set an expectation that all local authorities should pay childminders monthly. In addition, we recently re-launched the Childcare Business Grant Scheme which provides start up grants to new childminding businesses.