Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral contribution from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of 13 March 2018, Official Report, column 767, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of providing childcare support in Northern Ireland similar to 30 hours of funded childcare in England; and what additional funding his Department plans to make available to provide new childcare services in Northern Ireland.

Early education is a devolved matter for a restored Northern Ireland Executive.

We have delivered a successful 30 hours policy for working parents in England, and are willing to engage and provide advice to the Northern Ireland parties and the Northern Ireland Civil Service based on our experience of developing and administering this policy in England. We have made no assessment of the cost of providing childcare, similar to 30 hours, in Northern Ireland as that would be a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.