Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to consult with (a) nurseries and (b) other stakeholders on the development of the childcare workforce strategy.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The government has committed to develop a workforce strategy in 2016 and remains committed to engage with stakeholders in the sector on elements of the strategy. We regularly speak at conferences to talk about the workforce. It is our intention to consult with a range of stakeholders, including early years providers such as nurseries, and we are currently considering the best course of action to pursue this.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that provision of high-quality early years education is included in the Government's Life Chances Strategy.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Education plays a significant role in ensuring that children have the best start in life, and this government is committed to supporting families to give children a strong foundation in the earliest years.
The Prime Minister made clear in his recent speech that high quality early education will be a key part of the forthcoming Life Chances Strategy. We are working with other government departments to pursue this.