Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 25 of the Early Years Workforce Strategy 2017, who the members of the task and finish group on gender diversity in the childcare sector are; what progress that group has made on identifying the factors influencing the number of men employed in childcare roles; whether that group has suggested any solutions to increase the number of men employed in such roles; and if his Department will publish that group's report.

The gender diversity task and finish group includes practitioners, training providers, unions, academics and employers. As set out in the Early Years Workforce Strategy, the group will report to the department on the factors influencing the number of men in childcare and present possible solutions to increase this number. This work is still underway and the group will report their findings to the department in due course.