House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Tulip Siddiq tells the House that, according to the Preschool Learning Alliance, one in three nurseries fear being driven out of business because of the childcare policy.

Robert Goodwill replies that there will be some nurseries who will not be able to deliver 30 hours, or even 15, because of their business plan.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Robert Jenrick says that accessing childcare can be difficult to access in rural areas.

He suggests that the government promote business grants that could help people wanting to set up as child minders or small nurseries.

Robert Goodwill expresses the hope that the government's policy will encourage more nurseries to open.

Leaked proposals to curb EU immigration send a shiver down the spines of some business leaders.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Alison McGovern asks if the market is fundamentally broken.

If low pay has been reintroduced to childcare, what is he going to do about it? she asks.

Minister Robert Goodwill says nurseries are delivering 30 hours provision. He says big chains are participating and so are smaller providers he meets around the country.

Conservative Bob Blackman asks the minister to keep the policy under review, because he is finding some nurseries are not providing places.

The minister says £100m of funding is being put in, and some nurseries are putting in their own resources to deliver the provision.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

At PMQs, Lib Dem Education spokesperson Layla Moran asked the prime minister about childcare - now she gets a chance to ask the education minister.

She argues that the policy is not working on the ground and that the extra hours are being "heavily subsidised" by parents through late pick up fees and new charges for nappies and lunches.

Robert Goodwill says that in pilot schemes 100% providers are delivering child care, but says he would be happy to visit Oxford, the constituency Ms Moran represents.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow education minister Tracy Brabin says the free childcare entitlement has been a policy beset by "misinformation and mayhem".

She says many parents have been "unable to get their codes" and childcare providers have been "run ragged trying to help parents".

She also claims it was "advertised as free" but will be subsidised by parents.

The minister says her rhetoric "doesn't reflect the picture on the ground" and 71% of parents who've applied have been successfully processed.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Chair Lord Howell thanks Lord Ashdown for giving evidence:

“You have set a lovely jigsaw – bits are lying all over the table. We’re going to have to do something to put them together.”

There has been a lot of wisdom, he suggests, but not many solutions.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Lord Ashdown now tells peers that he has heard “on the grapevine” that the Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau is thinking about creating an Canadian-European axis to drive progress in the Balkans.

“That would be quite a significant step,” he says but adds that Canada is "obviously not" a replacement for the US.

House of Commons
Parliament

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There's now an urgent question from Labour's Tracy Brabin on the implementation of free childcare entitlement.

From 1 September most parents in England are entitled to 30 hours' free care a week for children aged three to four.

However, education charities have warned the scheme will cause "chaos" as it is underfunded and some nurseries may be forced to close.

Education Minister Robert Goodwill says the government is "determined to supporting as many families as possible" and is investing £6bn in childcare by 2020.

He says independent evaluations of pilot areas were "encouraging".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Phil Wilson reminds the prime minister of her conference speech in which she said workers' legal rights will be guaranteed in law "as long as I am prime minister".

Can the prime minister tell us how long will that be? he asks.

To laughter in the chamber, Mrs May plays it with a straight bat - I'm happy to stand by commitments to workers rights, she says, for as long as I'm prime minister.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Tim Loughton urges that the practice of speaking out against child abuse must be "promoted not gagged" in the face of "cultural sensitivities".

The prime minister agrees "anybody who abuses a child must be stopped regardless" and "cultural sensitivities must not get in the way of uncovering abuse".

She adds that freedom "must be extended to ministers and shadow ministers in this House", an apparent reference to Sarah Champion quitting the Labour front bench following the publication of a newspaper article.

Select Committee
Parliament

Crossbencher Baroness Coussins asks what Britain can do to help make Bosnia a functional state.

Lord Ashdown says that Washington provides military support and Brussels has soft power.

By acting alone, he argues that Britain has removed itself from the primary power base to make things happen.

House of Commons
Parliament

Lib Dem Layla Moran says parents in her constituency are "disappointed" that promised free childcare has not been implemented, accusing the government of "false advertising".

Mrs May says the government is putting £1bn extra into childcare each year and asks the Lib Dems to welcome "that this is something we are delivering on".

There'll be an urgent question on this very subject, just after PMQs.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Chris Philp criticises the EU member states for not being willing to discuss free trade, calling on them to "start free trade talks which are so clearly in the interests of everyone".

Mrs May answers that he's "absolutely right" and "it's in the interests of the EU to have that deep and special partnership".