Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the rate of increase of childcare costs.

The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. More than £20 billion has been spent over the past five years to support families with the cost of childcare.

In July 2022 measures were announced to increase take-up of childcare support and reduce the costs and bureaucracy facing providers. These plans give providers more flexibility and autonomy, and ensure that families can access government support to save money on their childcare bills. The full announcement can be viewed online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drive-to-reduce-the-cost-of-childcare-for-parents.

There is currently a £1.2 million campaign underway, led via the childcare choices website, to ensure that every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for. The website can be accessed at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The department is also actively considering ways to ensure a sufficient supply of childminders, giving more parents access to an affordable, flexible type of childcare. We will continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded support they are entitled to.