§ Mr. LeightonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with, and what representations he has received from, the CBI and individual employers, about the part they can play in providing child care.
Mr. Patten[holding answer 18 July 1990]: Home Office Ministers have not been directly involved in dicussions with employers about child care, nor has the Home Office received any representations from employers. The role of the Home Office, through the Ministerial Group on Women's Issues, which I chair, is to co-ordinate action by responsible Departments. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Employment has made known employers' views on child care when it has been considered at the ministerial group.