I have noted the concerns of those who took place in the ‘March of the Mummies’ protest last year and appreciate the strength of my constituents who have shared this campaign with me. It is vital that all parents have access to childcare.
The Department for Education (DfE) continues to look at ways to improve the cost, choice, and availability of childcare, and to encourage families to use their full entitlement of government-funded support.
The DfE has spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on its early education entitlements and intends to continue this support.
In recent years, the Government has consulted on reforming both parental leave and pay, and the legal framework to request flexible working (where employees can request a change to their hours, pattern or place of work). It will respond to both consultations in due course. Although there clearly cannot be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, the Government supports flexible working in all its forms, where it has benefits for, and is agreed between, both individuals and employers.
