The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 221W, how many three and four year olds in each parliamentary constituency are accessing the free early years entitlement outside of reception classes.
Elizabeth Truss
This information is provided in the accompanying table, which will also be placed in the House Library.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, columns 307-8W, on children: day care, what the breakdown is for the £500 grants available to set up new nurseries, childminders for disabled children and after schools clubs; how many of the 4,417 applicants continue to have a childcare business; and what plans he has for the funding of the scheme.
Mrs Helen Grant
The Childcare Business Grants scheme was launched in April 2013 to help those wishing to start a new childcare business with start-up costs. To date, 4,501 applications have been received, of which 425 have been for £500 grants. Information is not available on the number of applicants that continue to have a childcare business.
A breakdown of the £500 grants approved is in the table.
|
Type of Grant application |
Number of applications |
|
Disabled childcare |
146 |
|
Nursery |
191 |
|
Out of School Club |
69 |
|
*Other |
19 |
|
Total applications: |
425 |
Source: Liberata, management information
*Other (Childcare on domestic premises) – this category represents childminders working from domestic premises with three or more employees.
We recently announced that the scheme will be available for new applicants up to the end of 2014 or until the £2m fund is exhausted.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-17.
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) his Department and (b) his Department’s executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.
Francis Maude
The Government’s childcare offer will provide flexible support for all eligible working families while maintaining a free, universal early education support. Alongside this, the Government is also taking action to drive up the supply of high quality childcare provision and to open up more choice for parents.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West on 3 March 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 664W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 35W on nurseries, whether his Department claims tax relief against the cost of such workplace nurseries.
Dan Rogerson
Defra does not claim tax relief against the cost of running workplace nurseries as it does not pay corporation tax.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-29.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to reply to questions 192679, 192680 and 192681 on children: daycare, tabled on 18 March 2014 for answer on 24 March 2014.
Nicky Morgan
I have done so.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) his Department and (b) his Department’s executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.
Elizabeth Truss
The Department for Education, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies do not provide workplace nurseries for staff.
The Department’s approach to childcare support focuses on providing flexibility for staff in arranging childcare provision. As part of the overall benefits package, the Department provides a childcare voucher scheme to help cover the cost of nursery and pre-school for children under school age and forms of out of school care for school age children. This enables staff with childcare responsibilities to be more flexible as to when and where they access childcare support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 4W on nurseries, whether his Department’s workplace nurseries access the Government’s tax relief scheme for workplace nurseries.
Stephen Hammond
The Department’s childcare vouchers schemes are fully compliant with the Governments tax relief schemes as set out under Section 318 ITEPA 2003. Of the two nursery provision areas in Hastings and Swansea, the latter is run by a "third party" organisation, therefore, it is not for the Department to comment if they has access to the Government’s tax relief scheme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 414W, on pre-school education, who the 43 early years providers are who have been granted full or partial exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
Elizabeth Truss
Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure free early years provision for eligible children in their area. Local authorities determine which providers should receive early education funding in accordance with statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education. Since September 2013, local authorities have been expected to base their decision on whether to fund providers to deliver early education places solely on a provider’s most recent Ofsted judgement.
Exemptions to the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can only be made in one of two circumstances:
Exempt providers remain subject to inspection and any independent school which subsequently falls below ‘good’ loses their exemption. The first exemption was introduced in 2012. The second exemption was in place under the previous Government.
The Answer of 10 April 2014 (Official Report, col 414W, on pre-school education) explained that Departmental records showed there were 43 early years providers with full or partial exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS, that were in receipt of local authority funding for early education at the time the exemption was granted to the provider.
34 of these are still in receipt of local authority funding for early education. A further five providers with a full or partial exemption are now in receipt of early education funding but were not at the point their exemption was granted. One further provider has received an exemption since the previous PQ was answered and is in receipt of early education funding. Of these 40 providers, 33 are exempt under the exemption in place under the previous Government, only 7 are exempt under the exemption introduced in 2012. These 40 providers are listed below.
|
Providers who were in receipt of local authority funding for early education at |
Reasons for Exemption |
|
1. Apple Star Early Years (Community Interest Company), Reading |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
2. AZBUKA Russian Nursery, London |
Language – established principle route |
|
3. Beechtree Steiner Kindergarten, Leeds |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
4. Botton Village School, North Yorkshire |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
5. Brighton Steiner School |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
6. Bromsgrove (Pre-Prep and Nursery) School, Worcestershire |
Independent – Good |
|
7. Buttercups Little Kindergarten, Cambridgeshire |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
8. Calder Valley Steiner School, Calderdale |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
9. Cambridge Steiner School Kindergarten |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
10. Children of One End Street, Gloucestershire |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
11. Children’s Garden, Exeter |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
12. Children’s Garden, Richmond |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
13. Children’s Garden, University of East London |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
14. Cobnuts Steiner Kindergarten, Kent |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
15. Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School, Dudley |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
16. Falkner House, London |
Independent – Outstanding |
|
17. Greenwich Steiner School |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
18. Hoathly Hill Kindergarten, West Sussex |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
19. Kingsley School, Bideford |
Independent – Good |
|
20. Lancaster Steiner School |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
21. Laurel Farm Kindergarten, Bath |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
22. Michael Hall School Kindergarten, East Sussex |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
23. Michael House a Steiner Waldorf School, Heanor |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
24. North London Rudolph Steiner School |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
25. Rowan Tree Kindergarten, Bristol |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
26. Rudolph Steiner School, Kings Langley |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
27. St Albans Steiner Kindergarten |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
28. St Michael Steiner School, London |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
29. St Paul’s Steiner School, London |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
30. Sunlands Kindergarten, Gloucestershire |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
31. The Ryleys School, Cheshire |
Independent – Outstanding |
|
32. Waldorf Steiner of South West London |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
33. Willow Tree Steiner School, Bristol |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
34. York Steiner School |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
The following five providers are now in receipt of early education funding, |
Reasons for Exemption |
|
1. Elysia Children’s Garden |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
2. James Allen’s Preparatory School, London |
Independent – Outstanding |
|
3. Oswestry School (Bellan House), Shropshire |
Independent – Outstanding |
|
4. The Linden Kindergarten, Gloucestershire |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
5. Wynstones School, Gloucestershire |
Steiner – established principle route |
|
One further provider has received an exemption since the previous |
Reasons for Exemption |
|
1. Finton House, London |
Independent – Outstanding |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the number of workplace nurseries available to staff in (a) his Department and (b) his Department’s executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.
Gregory Barker
Since its establishment in 2008, neither the Department for Energy and Climate Change nor its non-departmental public bodies have had workplace nurseries available to staff.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-03.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 26W, on nurseries, for what reasons his Department is reviewing provision of workplace nurseries; when that review will be complete; how many families access his Department’s workplace nursery provision; how much workplace nursery provision by his Department costs each year; and whether his Department claims tax relief on workplace nurseries.
Mike Penning
There are currently seven workplace nurseries in operation, by third parties, on DWP premises.
The Department’s current contracts with its nursery providers are soon expiring. Therefore, it is appropriate to review future nursery provision in general and consider whether it is appropriate and cost effective to continue to contract for on site services.
In addition, as part of its remuneration package, the Department supports employees through a salary sacrifice scheme where employees can give up part of their salary in return for childcare vouchers, which allows for significant savings through tax relief. This gives parents support in order to make their own choices for childcare. Consequently, as suitable alternatives exist, it is no longer appropriate to continue to contract for workplace nursery provision.
There are currently 361 families who access DWP’s workplace nurseries.
The cost of nursery provision:
2013/14 YTD (Feb): £29,112
2012/13: £50,693
2011/12: £80,811
2010/11: £88,494
The Department doesn’t claim tax relief on workplace nurseries
No information is held on Executive agencies and non-departmental bodies. There would be a disproportionate cost to source that information.