Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of safeguarding in early years setting of removing staff to child ratios.

The department has a statutory obligation to consult on any potential changes to the Early Years Statutory Framework (EYFS), including any proposed changes to ratios. The department consulted on moving to the Scottish ratios for two-year-olds, from a ratio of 1:4 (one adult to four children) to 1:5 (one adult to five children), as well as on how greater flexibility can be provided within ratios for childminders. This consultation closed on 16 September, and the department will respond in due course.

Responses from this consultation will help to build the evidence base, including understanding more around the potential effect of safeguarding in the event that government guidelines are changed.

Alongside the consultation, the department ran a survey of early years providers to establish the likely impact of the changes on providers, and this survey will be published in due course.

Our priority continues to be to provide safe, high-quality early years provision for our youngest children.