Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2017 to Question 108171, whether her Department plans to seek information on the income of people accessing 30 hours of free childcare.

The Department collected data on the household income of parents using 30 hours free childcare during the Early Implementation of the policy in eight local authorities. The independent published evaluation of early implementation summarised the income of parents that:

• Used 30 hours
• Used more childcare than in the past because of 30 hours
• Changed their employment or working hours because of using 30 hours.

An independent evaluation will take place of the first two terms of national rollout of the policy. The evaluation intends to collect data from parents, including their household income.

The Department also collates some information on parent income through the annual Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents, which provides Official Statistics on parents’ use of childcare and early years provision.