Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many local authority areas do not have the capacity to expand the provision of childcare from 15 hours to 30 hours; and what steps the Government plans to take in those areas to provide such capacity.

The childcare market is growing and there are around 230,000 more childcare places than in 2009. We have supported this expansion with changes made to reduce bureaucracy, helping schools to provide places and, by enabling the setting up of childminder agencies. This new entitlement provides an opportunity for further growth for existing childcare providers to expand and for new providers to enter the market, helping to build a stronger economy and give parents increased choice.

We have a sensible delivery timetable that gives the market time to expand and adapt, as we know will be necessary. Full roll-out of the entitlement is scheduled for September 2017, and our approach will be informed by the experiences of pilot areas in 2016.

We are working with the sector to better understand the scale of the challenge and intend to consult with parents and providers in due course. We are in the process of undertaking a review of the cost of provision and have committed to increasing the average funding rate providers receive, which will help the sector to grow.