HC Deb 15 January 2003 vol 397 cc639-40W
Caroline Flint

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new child care workers have been recruited as a consequence of the child care recruitment campaign; and how many are working in child care settings. [87968]

Maria Eagle

The 2001 Child Care Workforce Survey shows that there are 274,520 child care staff across the sector. This is a rise of 21 per cent. from the 1998 workforce survey figures, when the figure stood at 226,340.

There have been over 140,000 calls to the child care recruitment campaign national telephone order line. We do not keep track of the outcomes for all individuals who call, but a small sample survey in January 2002 showed that 86 per cent. of the callers surveyed had looked for job information and 10 per cent. had already found a job in the sector.

Caroline Flint

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent progress has been made against targets by early years development and child care partnerships. [87982]

Maria Eagle

Local authorities returns indicated that by summer 2002 free nursery education places were available for some 70 per cent. of 3-year-olds, towards the target of a free such place by 2004 for all 3-year-olds whose parents want one. They also indicated that by June 2002 new child care places had been created since 1997 for some 1 million children towards the target of new places for 1.6 million children by March 2004; and that taking account of turnover in existing places, the increase in child care places to June 2002 will have benefited some 0.6 million children towards the target of 1 million children by March 2004. Information on progress against a range of other targets will he included in local authorities 2003–04 early years development and child care plans, which are to be returned in February 2003.

Caroline Flint

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the number of affordable child care places that will be needed if 70 per cent. of lone parents are to be in work by 2010. [88001]

Maria Eagle

The provision of affordable and flexible child care places for lone parents will be a key part of the strategy in meeting the 2010 70 per cent. employment rate target. However it is not possible to accurately estimate the number of child care places required to increase the lone parent employment rate to 70 per cent. due to the wide range of interrelated factors that will determine both the lone parent employment rate and the take up of child care places by working lone parents.