Written questions by Slade.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of areas without childcare providers in England; and what estimate her Department has made of the number of early years providers that have closed since September 2024.

The government is committed to ensuring children have the best start in life, and has set a target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn as part of the government’s Plan for Change.Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. They are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting this duty, and to make this report available to parents. The department regularly discusses sufficiency with each local authority in England, and where there are challenges, the necessary actions to take and provision of support via our childcare sufficiency support contract is explored. We do not currently have any reports of sufficiency issues in any local authority.The latest available figures on early years providers show that, between 31 August and 31 December 2024, 1,275 providers joined Ofsted’s Early Years Register and 1,581 providers left the Register. In the same period, the number of registered places grew slightly from 1,275,264 to 1,277,932.His Majesty's Treasury has been working on a fundamental review of business rates in the UK. The latest update indicates that the final report of this review will be published in autumn 2025. This review aims to reduce the overall burden on businesses, improve the current business rates system and consider more fundamental changes in the medium-to-long term. Childcare providers are being considered as part of this, and the review acknowledges the unique challenges faced by nurseries and other childcare providers.

Whether she plans to take steps to identify alternative sources of funding for the university sector.

The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade and ensure that all students can be confident they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve.The government is also determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UK Research and Innovation last week. However, universities will also need to take their own steps to ensure they are working as efficiently as possible and, where necessary, make difficult choices.Ultimately, HE providers are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary and appropriate financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.The department has set out five priorities for reform of the HE system, which relate to access and outcomes for disadvantaged students, economic growth, the civic role of HE providers, teaching standards and efficiency, transparency and reform.The department will publish our plan for HE reform this summer, and work with the sector and the Office for Students to ensure the system delivers these priorities.

Whether she plans to review the upper threshold for small business rates relief for early years providers.

The government is committed to ensuring children have the best start in life, and has set a target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn as part of the government’s Plan for Change.Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. They are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting this duty, and to make this report available to parents. The department regularly discusses sufficiency with each local authority in England, and where there are challenges, the necessary actions to take and provision of support via our childcare sufficiency support contract is explored. We do not currently have any reports of sufficiency issues in any local authority.The latest available figures on early years providers show that, between 31 August and 31 December 2024, 1,275 providers joined Ofsted’s Early Years Register and 1,581 providers left the Register. In the same period, the number of registered places grew slightly from 1,275,264 to 1,277,932.His Majesty's Treasury has been working on a fundamental review of business rates in the UK. The latest update indicates that the final report of this review will be published in autumn 2025. This review aims to reduce the overall burden on businesses, improve the current business rates system and consider more fundamental changes in the medium-to-long term. Childcare providers are being considered as part of this, and the review acknowledges the unique challenges faced by nurseries and other childcare providers.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential benefits of creating an agency for supply teachers to standardise pay and conditions.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment.A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs the supply teacher.Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.The department does not have plans at this time to assess the potential benefits of creating an agency for supply teachers to standardise pay and conditions. Instead, we are focused on our central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child by recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this parliament.The department is already making progress towards this key pledge, including by accepting a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, announcing a £233 million Initial Teacher Training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, and confirming targeted retention incentives for shortage subjects worth up to £6,000 after tax. We will continue to work alongside the sector as we seek to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the funding for built environment Level 7 apprentices on the Government's commitment to build 1.5 million homes.

The government is committed to 1.5 million homes being built across this Parliament while spreading opportunities and economic growth supported by a strong skills system.The department is working closely with industry and across Whitehall on this ambition, including with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions to understand skill needs and how to address them.The department has made early progress on expanding the skills offer with the announcement of Construction and Industry Training Board and National Housebuilding Council funding worth £140 million, to deliver up to 32 Homebuilding Skills Hubs and to make 5,000 more construction apprenticeships available, making use of existing flexibilities in our apprenticeships system to help businesses get the skilled workers they need more quickly.There are 96 high quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment sector approved for delivery across levels 2 to 6 to support employers and apprentices to develop the skills they need, with three apprenticeship standards in the sector approved for delivery at level 7.This government had a dire fiscal inheritance with a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances. We are taking difficult decisions to fix the foundations of our economy and prioritise government spending where it can be most impactful, including in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. The department will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships themselves outside of the levy-funded growth and skills offer.The department is taking advice from Skills England, who have been engaging with employers and sector-representative organisations, including in construction, and expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships shortly. Learners who have started these apprenticeships will be funded through to completion and employers will continue to be able to offer these apprenticeships where they choose to do so.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of including grief education in the relationships and sex education curriculum.

The statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance, which sets out the specific topics pupils should be taught, makes clear that teachers should be aware of common adverse childhood experiences and understand when and how these may be affecting their pupils. This will help teachers to tailor their lessons accordingly, taking decisions on appropriate resources and support to enable them to teach the curriculum effectively. Teachers are free to draw on the support and expertise of subject associations and other providers of curriculum support. The RSHE statutory guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including on grief education and bereavement.

Whether she plans to introduce wraparound childcare in all schools by September 2026.

This government will build a modern childcare system that supports families from the end of parental leave, right through to the end of primary school.Childcare needs do not stop when children start school. To support parents the government will deliver f...