Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why North Yorkshire County Council receives the sixth lowest allowance for childcare providers amongst 160 county councils; and what plans there are to develop a "more level playing field" for providers as set out in the Department for Education consultation <i>Early years funding: changes to funding for 3 and 4 year olds</i>.

This Government is investing £1 billion of additional funding per year in the early years free entitlements, including £300 million per year to increase the national average funding rate. We are determined to allocate this record investment fairly and transparently and that is why we have consulted on an Early Years National Funding Formula, which will determine the funding rates of all local authorities, including North Yorkshire. This consultation has now closed and we will respond in the Autumn.

The consultation included a proposal to require all local authorities to use a universal base rate for all providers from 2019-20 at the latest. This approach will ensure that no child is disadvantaged, in terms of the funding available to support their early education, by the type of childcare setting which they attend.