Oral Answers to Questions

Sharon Hodgson Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order.

[Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I beg your pardon. I did not give the hon. Lady her opportunity to speak. She would have been deprived.

[Mrs Hodgson]

I am very grateful to you, Mr Speaker. Since the last election, the cost of nursery places has risen five times faster than pay, and there are 35,000 fewer child care places. Given that so many women are forced out of work because of unaffordable child care, will the Minister back our plans to provide 25 hours of child care for all three and four-year-olds of working parents?

[Jenny Willott]

I do not recognise the figures highlighted by the hon. Lady. The latest figures from the Department for Education show that there are 100,000 more child care places. According to the latest figures, there were 2 million child care places in 2011, which was a 5% increase on 2009, so the number of child care places has increased. As the mother of two young children, I totally appreciate that the cost of child care can be an excessive burden on families. However, the Government have done a lot to offer support and are doing more with the offer of tax-free child care from next year, which will make a significant difference to the amount that parents have to pay for their child care.

Royal Assent