Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to support parents with childcare costs in Gloucester constituency.

In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements, more than doubling annual public investment in the early years sector compared to 2023/24, as we have successfully rolled-out the expansion of government-funded childcare for working parents.

30 hours per week of government funded childcare will save families using their full entitlement up to £8,000 per eligible child per year.

Coram–PACEY’s 2026 Childcare Survey shows the expansion of government funded entitlements in 2024/25 brought the cost of a part-time childcare place for eligible working parents back to what it was in 2005. It additionally found that the expansion of 30 hours of funded childcare significantly reduced costs for eligible working parents in England, in some cases making part time childcare effectively free during term time.

For 2026/27 the local authority funding rates per hour for Gloucester are:

Under 2-year-olds: £11.35, 2‑year‑olds: £8.37, 3 and 4‑year‑olds: £6.03.