§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what child care provision his Department provides for pre-school age children of employees; what child care provision, for school holiday or after-school care, is provided for employees' children aged five and over; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years; and how these are to be funded.
§ Mr. CopeI refer to the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 20 April 1988 at column475.
I addition to the child care provision mentioned in that reply, the Employment Department group now operates a further care parent scheme for staff with children under five years old in the employment service and Training Agency headquarters in Sheffield.
The group has also contributed to the initial funding of the Westminster holiday playscheme which is being co-ordinated by the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service for staff working in central London. We are considering other facilities both departmentally and jointly with the office of the Minister for the Civil Service.