Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2017 to Question 107980, on children: day care, how many of the valid 30 hours codes have been generated by successful applications in each local authority area.

On 12 October 2017, the Department for Education published data that set out the number of eligibility codes issued for 30 hours’ free childcare by 31 August 2017 and the number of codes validated by 9 October 2017. This release of data can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/651185/30-hours_childcare_management_information_October_2017_update.pdf.

Please find attached a table on the information you have requested regarding the number of 30 hours’ free childcare eligibility codes generated in each local council.

1. The data source for this information is the Department for Education Eligibility Childcare System.

2. The data is a snapshot of the live Eligibility Checking System as of the 5 September.

3. The figures exclude all eligibility codes issued after 31 August, the deadline for applying for a 30 hours place for the autumn term.

4. Local councils and providers can continue to validate codes for the autumn term childcare places during the term, providing the code was applied for by 31 August. Therefore, the number and percentage of codes validated is still changing and will increase during the term.

It is the responsibility of local councils to assess supply and demand of free entitlement places at a local level. Additional codes have been validated since 9 October & local authority data will be published in due course.