Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department expects to confirm to childcare providers the rates to be paid to them when delivering 30 hours free childcare per week for three and four year olds.

We have already announced increased annual investment of £1 billion for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300 million per year from 2017-18 to uplift the average funding rate paid to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches frontline childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.

Local authorities, in consultation with their Schools Forum, are responsible for deciding how best to distribute the early years entitlement funding across their locality. They also set their own local rates of funding for their early years providers.