Tag: childcare

Bishop of St Albans asks about childcare in rural areas

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what steps they plan to take to strengthen support for childcare providers in rural areas, particularly those who provide childcare for disabled children.
  • what assessment they have made of the finding by Coram Family and Childcare’s annual survey 2024 that 16 per cent of rural families report sufficient access to childcare, compared to 30 per cent last year.
  • further to the publication of Coram Family and Childcare’s annual survey 2024, what steps they plan to take to ensure accessibility and affordability of rural childcare.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about recruitment in the early years sector

On 29th June 2023, Bishop of St Albans asked a question on effective recruitment for early years and childcare settings following a government statement on childcare reform:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I join others in congratulating His Majesty’s Government for what is a very forward-looking and exciting series of announcements. The research we have on the first 1,000 years and many other pieces of research show just how vital this is, and it absolutely plays into the last debate about our economy in the long run.

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Bishop of Carlisle asks about funded childcare schemes

The Bishop of Carlisle asked a question on the benefits of funded childcare schemes on 17th January 2023, during a debate on access to childcare for working families:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, following the recommendation in a recent report published by the Work and Pensions Committee on universal credit and childcare costs, can the Minister tell us what assessment His Majesty’s Government have made of childcare funding schemes in Scotland and in some Scandinavian countries? Have they investigated whether their costs are offset by other benefits to society, such as increased economic activity, additional tax receipts and personal well-being?

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Bishop of Durham asks about funded early years childcare for families with no recourse to public funds

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 9th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty’s Government how many children subject to no recourse to public funds (NRPF) conditions in receipt of 15 hours a week of free early education are British citizens.

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Bishop of Durham asks about funded early education for families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government how many children subject to No Recourse to Public Funds conditions are in receipt of 15 hours a week of free early education available to disadvantaged three and four year-olds, but would be eligible for the 30 hour entitlement if not subject to NRPF.

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Bishop of Durham asks about funded early education for children of migrants with no recourse to public funds

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 8th December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government how many children subject to No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions are in receipt of the 15 hours a week of free early education available to disadvantaged two-year old children.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about reviews of the 15 hours childcare offer for two year olds, healthy start schemes, and free school meals

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 11th July 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked Her Majesty’s Government whether they have carried out an impact assessment of revising the income-based eligibility threshold for the (1) 15-hour childcare offer for two year olds, (2) the Healthy Start Scheme, and (3) free school meals.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about benefits of early years interventions

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the benefits of early years interventions for welfare and social mobility on 1st December 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of early years interventions on people’s welfare and social mobility later in life.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con): My Lords, we know that the early years are key to children’s later life chances, and effective early support is crucial. That is why we have put unprecedented investment into childcare over the past decade, committed £153 million to support education recovery in the early years, rolled out the proven Nuffield Early Language Intervention, and have announced £300 million to create a network of family hubs and transform crucial Start for Life services.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about early years workforce retention

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on government efforts to help early years and childcare settings attract and retain key workers, during a debate on teachers departing education on 3rd November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, in the discussion around this question there may be an assumption that we are focusing on key stages 1 and 2 and secondary schools, but, given that the most significant years of a child’s development are the early years, will the Minister say what is being done to ensure that nurseries and preschools attract, develop and retain vital key workers?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about support for children under five and the early years sector amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the wellbeing of children under five and support for the early years and childcare sector in the course of the COVID-19 Pandemic on 20th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the wellbeing of children under five affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they are taking to support the early years sector affected by the pandemic.

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