Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what threshold for (a) individual and (b) household earnings she plans to introduce to determine eligibility for the Government's 30 hours free childcare scheme.

The new entitlement to 30 hours free childcare is intended to support working parents with the cost of childcare and enable them, where they want, to return to work or to work additional hours.

To meet the principle of designing a system that is simple for parents, the Government’s intention is that eligibility for 30 hours free childcare should broadly align with Tax-Free Childcare. In particular both parents, or the single parent in such households, will need to work the equivalent of 8 hours per week at the national minimum wage. Further detail on eligibility will be provided during passage of the Childcare Bill.