Lords question thinktanks: why should the state be involved in childcare?
Representatives from two leading think tanks will face questions from the House of Lords Committee on Affordable Childcare, on Wednesday 23 July.
At 10.40am, the Committee will be hearing from Dalia Ben Galim, Associate Director for Families and Work at the Institute for Public Policy Research, and Adam Memon, Head of Economic Research at the Centre for Policy Studies.
The Committee will use the session to explore what should be the role of the state in childcare; whether current policy aims are being met, and whether other policies designed to support working families, such as flexible working and parental leave, should be prioritised.
Questions the Committee are likely to put to the witnesses include:
- Does the provision of free early education improve outcomes for children?
- Do state subsidies for childcare improve the ability of parents, and especially mothers, to work?
- What should be the balance between policies designed to make childcare more affordable and other policies designed to support families, such as flexible working, parental leave or career breaks?
- Should government policy explicitly take into account the role of informal childcare, such as that provided by grandparents?
The evidence session will take place on Wednesday 23 July at 10.40am in Committee Room 4A of the House of Lords.
A YouTube video of the Committee Chairman, Lord Sutherland, talking about the inquiry, is now available on the Lords YouTube channel.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
