Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of 13 March 2018, Official Report, column 768, what plans he has to make an oral statement on changes to childcare policy in Northern Ireland.

Early education is a devolved matter for a restored Northern Ireland Executive and therefore we have no plans to make a statement on changes to childcare policy in Northern Ireland. We are willing to engage with, and provide advice to, the Northern Ireland parties and the Northern Ireland Civil Service based on our experience of developing and administering the 30 hours free childcare policy in England.