Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare providers which are run by local authorities (a) are and (b) are not participating in the scheme for 30 free hours of childcare.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to secure sufficient childcare for parents in their local areas and they are working closely with their providers to ensure eligible parents are able to access a 30 hours place. The Department continues to provide ongoing support to local authorities and providers delivering 30 hours.

Our recently published independent evaluation of the early rollout programme shows that over 80% of providers were willing and able to offer 30 hours places.

The full report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-rollout-of-30-hours-free-childcare-evaluation.