Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Government delivers thousands more school-based nursery places, published on 4 September 2025, how many and what proportion of the extra school-based nursery places will be in Huntingdon constituency.

High quality early years is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity, give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. The government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, supporting school led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers and childminders operating from school sites.

Phase 1 is already delivering results, with £37 million successfully awarded to 300 primary phase schools creating up to 6,000 new childcare places. Applications were assessed based on a range of factors.

No applications for Huntingdon were awarded. However, building on phase 1, phase 2 of the school-based nursery programme launched on September 4, with a stronger focus on supporting families from disadvantaged areas. Primary schools and maintained nursery schools, including those in Huntingdon, have until 5pm on 11 December to apply for up to £150,000 from a £45 million fund, with capacity to deliver at least another 300 new or expanded school-based nurseries, offering up to 7,000 more places from September 2026.