Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Tulip Siddiq Excerpts
Monday 18th January 2021

(3 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Vicky Ford Portrait Vicky Ford
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We have already announced in the spending review that we will put additional funding into early years entitlements in the next financial year. That will allow us to increase the hourly funding rates for all local authorities by at least 8p an hour for two-year-olds, and by 6p an hour for three and four-year-olds; of course, those in areas of higher disadvantage get higher amounts of money. That will pay for a rate increase that is higher than the cost nurseries may face from the uplift to the national living wage in April.

Tulip Siddiq Portrait Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab) [V]
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Ministers are telling everyone to stay at home, yet early years providers are being told to stay open for as many children as possible or lose funding. This month’s funding changes mean that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders will be punished financially for having lower demand than usual, or for limiting their opening during lockdown, and 19,000 providers could close by summer as a result. Is that a price the Minister is willing to pay, or does she think those warning about this are wrong?