§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what requirements there are for qualified staff to be in attendance at creche facilities operating for less than two hours a day in public places; [72165]
(2) whether staff and assistants working in creche facilities open to the general public and operating less than two hours per day are subject to the same checks as those working in creche facilities open to the general public and operating more than two hours per day; [72319]
(3) how many complaints her Department has received in the last 12 months about the quality of care provided in creche facilities available to the general public operating for less than two hours a day; [72166]
(4) what information a provider of creche facilities operating for less than two hours a day is required to supply to parents. [72164]
§ Estelle Morris[holding answer 23 July 2002]: Crèches operating for two hours or less per day are not regulated in the same way as childcare facilities operating for longer periods. There are no particular requirements for staff to be checked by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), for information to be supplied to parents, or for qualified staff. However, people providing such facilities have a general duty of care for the children being looked after, and should therefore ensure that they employ people suitable for the job. Within the last twelve months, the Department for Education and Skills has received only one complaint about the quality of care in crèche facilities operating for less than two hours per day. We keep under regular review the provisions of the Children Act relating to the regulation of childcare.