Childcare Bill

A range of concerns have been raised in this group of amendments and we have had a good and useful debate on the many issues raised. We believe that healthy private, voluntary and independent sectors are vital to maintaining the diverse childcare market that will best meet the needs of parents. We set great store by contestability and we do not wish to undermine or diminish the role that the independent, voluntary and private sectors play in this area. I give that commitment on the part of the Government. It is not a commitment based on words, but is based on existing practice and the changes that we are bringing to bear in this area. In terms of practice, a survey of 459 Sure Start children’s centres showed that 21 per cent were run by private, voluntary and independent sector providers and that those sectors also provided 58 per cent of the childcare in those centres, which are being set up under the Sure Start programme and so are quite apart from the existing supply of private, voluntary and independent provision. I hope that that demonstrates to the noble Baroness, Lady Morris, that collaborative working is already happening successfully and that we are not dealing with conjecture about what will happen, but that we have a good basis on which to believe that the private, voluntary and independent sectors will continue to thrive as local authorities take on the commission roles set out in the Bill. To commit further to our vision of a diverse market, we are amending the Sure Start grant memorandum so that from this month there will be a requirement for local authorities to consult, and consider using, the private and voluntary sectors as they develop Sure Start children’s centres—as many already do. Clause 3, which is already agreed, requires local authorities to take all reasonable steps to involve the private, voluntary and independent sectors in the planning and delivery of early childhood services, which further underpins the obligations that we are giving them. Our Extended Schools prospectus makes clear that schools will need to work in partnership with other providers to complement and support access to existing services. In a large proportion of cases, schools are making their facilities available, and facilities in primary and secondary schools are being substantially rebuilt through the Building Schools for the Future programme. The actual provision will be made by private, voluntary and independent providers, many of whom will find opportunities to make this provision significantly enhanced by these new facilities. The noble Baroness, Lady Morris, said that they may have difficulties doing so, in the context of private, voluntary and independent providers who currently face constrained facilities in their capacity to deliver childcare on the enhanced basis we are seeking to ensure. The enhanced facilities increasingly available in schools and children’s centres will actually be a great boost to the private, voluntary and independent sectors. They will be able to make use of more appropriate facilities in making provision.