§ Ms. RichardsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what child care provision his Department provides for pre-school-age children of employees; what child care provision for school holidays or after-school care is provided for employees' children aged five years and over; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years; and how these are to be funded.
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§ Mr. Peter LloydAt present no provision for the child care of the pre-school age children of staff is made in this Department, although preliminary discussions on such facilities have taken place.
The Department's central office at Newcastle operates a scheme of finding day care parents for employees's children. It also runs holiday play schemes for them in the Easter and summer holidays. A holiday play scheme has been organised for the forthcoming Easter holidays for the children of staff working in HQ buildings in central London. Additionally staff working in the Whitehall area can make use of the centrally organised holiday play schemes.
Child care provision is one of the areas being examined in a review of opportunities available to women employees in the Department. We hope to base any further holiday play schemes on the experience we are gaining.
The schemes are intended to be self-supporting, but the Department has provided funding to prime them.