§ 10. Ms EagleTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to improve child care to assist women into employment.
§ Miss WiddecombeWe have committed £45 million to the out-of-school child care grant initiative to help create up to 50,000 new after-school and holiday places for school-age children throughout Great Britain.
§ Ms EagleI recognise that Britain's record in provision for the under-fives is the worst in the European Union and acknowledge that affordable and adequate child care is a major barrier to many women who are trying to work or who want to work longer hours. When will the Government do something to solve that problem, create a national child care strategy and start making some decent provision for 51 per cent. of the people in this country?
§ Miss WiddecombeI suggest that the hon. Lady starts with her constituency. Perhaps she will welcome in her constituency the Wirral Latch Key scheme, the School House scheme, the Scamps scheme and the Rainbow scheme. When she has welcomed them, she might even smile at what is happening in her constituency.
§ Mrs. GillanWill my hon. Friend confirm that female earnings have increased by 30 per cent. since 1990, compared with male earnings, which have increased by only 23 per cent.? Will she further confirm that, compared with 1970, when women made up 36 per cent. of the work force, they now make up 46 per cent.? Are there not, in 137 practice, far fewer barriers to women in obtaining employment than that lot over there would have us believe?
§ Miss WiddecombeYes, and it is entirely due to the policies of the Government, which have a greater effect on women than anything that that lot over there ever did.