Asked by: Baroness McGregor-Smith (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to change the provision of free childcare for children from when they are born.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government is committed to making childcare more affordable and more accessible. We plan to spend around £3.5 billion on our early education entitlements this year alone – more than any previous government. All 3 and 4-year-olds and the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds can access 15 hours a week of early education. From September 2017, this government doubled the childcare entitlement for eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds to 30 hours a week. Tax-Free Childcare provides additional financial help from government to help with any additional costs, worth up to £2,000 per child per year for children under 12 (or up to £4,000 per year for disabled children under 17). Those parents in receipt of Universal Credit can claim up to 85% of their childcare costs. The Childcare Choices website supports families’ understanding of what might be available to them. This can be found at: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. The government has no plans to extend the package of free childcare to children from birth.
Asked by: Baroness McGregor-Smith (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure childcare costs are affordable in the UK.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
This government is making childcare more affordable and more accessible. Helping parents with their childcare costs is one of the best ways to support families with the cost of living and ensuring every child has the opportunity of a high-quality early education.
The government will spend around £3.5 billion on early education entitlements this year alone – more than any other government.
All 3 and 4-year-old children in England are eligible for 15 hours of free childcare. Children of working parents are eligible for an additional 15 hours, saving families up to £5,000 per year in total.
15 hours free early education is also available to the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds.
Tax-Free childcare provides additional financial help from government to help with any additional costs, worth up to £2,000 per child per year for children under 12 (or up to £4,000 per year for disabled children under 17).
Those parents in receipt of Universal Credit can claim up to 85% of their childcare costs. The Childcare Choices website supports families’ understanding of what might be available to them. This can be found at: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Asked by: Baroness McGregor-Smith (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a review of the cost of childcare and how it can be reduced for all parents.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government annually collects and reviews data on childcare affordability. The childcare providers and parent surveys are published annually as official statistics. These include data on childcare fees, the amount parents pay for childcare and parents’ experiences of childcare affordability. These are used extensively by the government to inform policy development and understand how existing policies benefit parents.
In September 2010, 15 hours of free weekly childcare was introduced for all children aged 3 to 4, which was extended from September 2017 to 30 hours for working parents of 3 to 4-year-olds. In 2013, 15 hours of free weekly childcare was introduced for disadvantaged 2-year-olds. Tax-free childcare was launched in April 2017, giving eligible families up to £2,000 free per child towards childcare costs for children aged under 12. As part of Universal Credit, parents can claim up to 85% of their childcare costs.
The government will spend around £3.5 billion on early education entitlements this year alone – more than any other government. More than 700,000 of the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds have benefited from 15 hours free childcare since 2013, and more than 340,000 3 and 4-year-olds benefitted from our 30 hours offer in its first year, meaning parents are spending less on childcare or are able to work more flexibly.
The government entitlements are supporting as many families as possible with access to high quality, affordable childcare. Parents using the 30 hours can save up to £5,000 per year on the costs of childcare, and almost 4 in 5 parents using the 30 hours, report having more money to spend as a result.
Asked by: Baroness McGregor-Smith (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that their focus on equalities will continue in the period leading up to Brexit.
Answered by Lord Nash
The United Kingdom has a proud record of promoting equality and we have some of the strongest laws to prevent and tackle discrimination. In the run up to the United Kingdom exiting the European Union, we will continue to promote and champion the equal rights we believe in and ensure the necessary legal protections are maintained.