HC Deb 13 April 1999 vol 329 cc160-1W
Mrs. Lait

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the extra cost to public funds to register clubs for children aged up to 14 years and up to 16 years in the case of disabled children. [78282]

Ms Hodge

It is proposed that out of school clubs should seek approval from quality assurance organisations which have been accredited by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. I do not anticipate any extra costs to public funds to arise from the approval process. There will be a small cost to public funds arising from the administration of the accreditation process. Quality assurance organisations are expected to charge childcare providers to cover the cost of administering their approval schemes.

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the oral statement by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 17 March 1999,Official Report, columns 1143–44, under which Education Act clubs making provision for eight to 14 year olds, and eight to 16 year olds in the case of disabled children, will be registered. [78283]

Ms Hodge

There will be no requirement for clubs making provision for children aged eight and over to be registered. The amendment to the Tax Credits Bill tabled on 17 March gives my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State the necessary power to set up a two tier approval scheme. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will accredit appropriate organisations to administer an approval system for childcare providers. Childcare providers will be able to seek approval from accredited quality assurance organisations. The details of the scheme will be set out in regulations made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Organisations which wish to become accredited will need to demonstrate that their approval schemes set standards in the following areas: the health and safety and welfare of children, including the employment of suitable staff; the quality of the activities offered to children; and equal opportunities.

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of quality threshold assessors available to assess child care clubs for children aged up to 14 years and up to 16 years in the case of disabled children. [78290]

Ms Hodge

In deciding whether quality assurance organisations should be accredited to approve child care providers for the purposes of the child care tax credit, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment will want to satisfy himself that the organisation has adequate arrangements to ensure sufficient trained quality assurance assessors are available.

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate he has made of(a) the demand for child care clubs for children aged up to 14 years and up to 16 years in the case of disabled children and (b) the adequacy of current provision; [78291]

(2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current geographical spread of child care clubs for children aged up to 14 years and up to 16 years in the case of disabled children in relation to projected demand. [78292]

Ms Hodge

Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships have been asked to produce local childcare audits. These audits represent the first ever comprehensive attempt to find out what forms of childcare are currently being used and the level of unmet demand in England.

The audits, which have been used to inform Early Years Development and Childcare Plans for 1999–2000, show that there is currently an unmet demand in many areas. £170 million from the New Opportunities Fund is being made available between 1999–2003 to create new out of school childcare places in England. Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships will provide advice on the extent to which bids for NOF funding are consistent with priorities identified in their Plan. The extra help with childcare costs through the childcare tax credit element of the Working Families Tax Credit will help schemes, particularly in disadvantaged areas, to maintain their viability.