Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of childcare costs on parents with children below primary school age.

The 2023 Spring Budget announced that the department is closing the gap between parental leave ending and the current childcare offer for working parents, ensuring all parents of primary-aged children can access wraparound childcare in school.

This announcement announced the largest ever investment in childcare in England. The measures that were announced will be transformative for parents, children and the economy.

By 2027/28, the department will provide over £4.1 billion to fund 30 hours of free childcare per week, covering 38 weeks per year, for working parents which children aged nine months to three years old in England.

The department will invest £204 million in 2023/24 to uplift the rates for existing entitlements, rising to £288 million in 2024/25, with further uplifts beyond this so that providers have the funding they need to deliver childcare entitlements.

We are removing one of the largest barriers to working parents by increasing the amount of free childcare available. Childcare is a vital enabler for parents to work, which is why we are bringing forward a number of measures to support parents to return and stay in work. This new funding will empower parents, allowing them to progress in their careers and supporting their families.

The department believes all parents should have access to childcare before and after the school day to help them work. That is why we are also launching a new national wraparound childcare pilot scheme.

We will provide a total of £289 million in start-up funding to enable schools and local areas to test flexible ways of providing wraparound childcare.

By 2027/28, government funding on free hours and early education will be in excess of £8 billion a year. This will help working families with their childcare cost.