§ Mrs. RocheTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the(a) women who are mothers and (b) men who are fathers who are employed by his Department have received assistance from the Department with child care. [1285]
§ Mr. HowardAlthough the Home Office collects statistical information on staff employed in the Department and its agencies, information is not collected on the parental status of individual staff because it is not considered appropriate to do so. Child care assistance is provided in a variety of forms. The Department makes available a number of subsidised nursery and holiday play scheme places, provides advice on out-of-school care and pays additional child care expenses incurred where the normal working routine is broken.
Over a 12-month period to the end of September 1996, 122 women and 58 men have used nursery places and 89 women and 14 men have used play scheme places. Over the same period, excluding the Prison Service, 58 women and two men have received payments in respect of additional child care expenses.