Free Childcare

I agree with the hon. Lady that we need flexible provision of childcare because what we have does...

The point about disadvantage is key. Mark McDonald, the Scottish Government Minister for Childcar...

It is certainly true that it narrows the gap, but I want to make the point that it is good for al...

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate and to serve under your chairship, Mr Davies, and to fol...

The hon. Lady makes a point that we should all consider very carefully, which is that this issue ...

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. Of course childcare is not just a women’s issue, but ...

Does my hon. Friend agree that working hours have changed across the whole range of businesses an...

My hon. Friend is correct. These days, retail is 24 hours a day. She makes an excellent case for ...

Before my hon. Friend finishes her speech, may I point out that parents in the past had a lot of ...

That is a very good point. In addition, bearing in mind what we know now about child development ...

It is really nice to speak on a petition in Westminster Hall; I have spoken in a number of other ...

May I correct the hon. Lady? Although there is an additional £1 billion, the figure is actually £...

Yes, the Scottish Government have committed to spending an additional half of the UK Government’s...

The hon. Lady is making a compelling case. Does she agree that there is a compelling need for bot...

Absolutely. There is a real problem with choice for families. In some cases, families cannot affo...

Does the hon. Lady agree that her argument is an absolutely cast-iron reason why this issue has t...

It is really important that we look at how this issue is addressed in terms of devolution, and in...

I am interested in what my hon. Friend says about Aberdeen, which is one of the areas taking part...

I absolutely agree, and my hon. Friend has given me a nice opportunity to talk about the trials t...

That is an incredibly important point. Nobody I know, or almost nobody, works from 9 am to 3 pm. ...

Absolutely. As the Scottish Government go forward with these pilots, and with possible changes, w...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the...

I am sorry to interrupt the hon. Lady’s flow, but I would like to correct her, as she has just gi...

I thank the Minister for her contribution, but the source I have, which I believe and which is ve...

It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I congratulate the hon. Membe...

I thank the Minister for giving way and for her kind remarks. I have one specific question on chi...

Absolutely. The hon. Lady makes an excellent point. We have heard a lot today about maintained nu...

Many maintained nurseries have special units for children with special needs. They take in disabl...

Absolutely. I am a great fan of maintained nursery schools. There is one in my own constituency, ...

It is still the case that a child’s long-term future exam results can be predicted by the highest...

I did not know that interesting statistic. The hon. Lady is right. Providing better early educati...

I am sorry the Minister seems a bit rattled by what I have said. I am the Opposition spokesperson...

I am keen to tell the hon. Lady what I think. Because she is very new to her role, I am prepared ...

Will the Minister give way?

No, I have given way enough. In answer to her question, the figures are the Government’s figures ...

I echo the Minister’s sentiments about removing financial barriers. Does she agree it is also imp...

The hon. Lady is right. Flexibility is really important, which is why our recent consultation res...

It is a consultancy.

It is not a consultancy. It provides courses and shares best practice. It is about being out ther...

I am sorry, but I cannot let the Minister get away with that. She is right that childcare has alw...

As the hon. Member for Wirral South said, this is not a recent phenomenon; it has accumulated ove...

The Minister is being very generous in giving way. Will she humour me and agree that the Scottish...

I do not know, but I am keen to learn from best practice wherever I find it, so I will be hot-foo...

The Minister is missing out the fact that going up from a low hourly rate to a slightly better on...

I do not understand why the hon. Lady is saying that what we are doing is already leading to that...

On a point of correction, I am sorry, but the Minister misquotes me. I said that children needed ...

I am grateful for the clarification, but the hon. Lady should be aware—I hope she already is and ...

Regardless of the difference of opinion between the Minister and the hon. Member for Warrington N...

The hon. Lady is right: the work those staff do is exceptional. Any of us who have had access to ...

I only want to make a few remarks to wind up. I am grateful to the Members who have spoken, but I...