Government, local, early education, liz green, alison o'sullivan
Lords question Local Government on spending money for early education
5 November 2014
The House of Lords Committee on Affordable Childcare continued its inquiry on Wednesday 5 November by questioning local government representatives on how the money for early education is spent. Previous evidence suggests there is significant variation in the amount paid to providers, and the Committee was keen to understand why.
Witnesses
In the session at 10.35am the Committee heard from:
- Councillor Liz Green – Deputy Chair, Children and Young People's Board, Local Government Association
- Alison O'Sullivan – Vice-President, Association of Directors of Children's Services and Director of Children and Adult Services at Kirklees Council
Questions the Committee asked were:
- What is the role of local government in childcare and early education?
- Are current levels of funding for early education high enough to deliver high quality places?
- What guidance is given to local authorities on how the Dedicated Schools Grant should be allocated?
- What proportion of the Dedicated Schools Grant is required to administer the scheme?
- Do local authorities support a shift to a school-led system for delivering early education and childcare?
- What role do local authorities play in encouraging employers to take a more active interest in enabling their staff to access affordable childcare?