7. 6. Statement: The Childcare Offer for Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:27 pm on 8 November 2016.

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Photo of Carl Sargeant Carl Sargeant Labour 5:27, 8 November 2016

I thank the Member for her contribution—it poses some very interesting questions: what if, 20 years ago, we were able to change the way of our future? We’d be looking very different, perhaps, today. But she raised some important points during her contribution.

The issue around wraparound care is an important one that we are working with the private sector, the voluntary sector and the public sector about what does that mean through our Talk Childcare programme. We’re understanding that it’s not the nine-to-five, always, that helps parents. Actually, they want some flexibility around each side of that. That in itself poses a problem, because most of the heavily reliant, good delivery of public services models are generally working in that space, and where there is heavy reliance on that particular programme, there isn’t much capacity in the private sector, because there aren’t many children in that space. So, we’re trying to flex that, and I absolutely understand the questions that the Member raised about how that looks in terms of working outside the norm. That’s why we’re working with a variety of organisations and a variety of local authorities that will test this system for us in both a rural and an urban setting. Swansea, I think, is the urban setting of a city base that will use an opportunity to work with the voluntary sector as well.

The issue of capital is one I have already had discussions with the finance Minister and with the education Minister about. We are considering what levels of capital are required. The Cabinet Secretary has kindly introduced £20 million per annum from 2018-19 into the education main expenditure group for capital investment in childcare settings, alongside the twenty-first century schools programme. So, this is about planning for the future, exactly what the Member raised, about what we can do more about that—having a flexible setting that is built for delivery of this most ambitious childcare provision.

This is very ambitious, but we can deliver this. I’m confident we can, but we can’t deliver it as a Government on our own; we have to work with other sectors as well. I’m very encouraged by the amount of interest from outside, looking in. I must say that of the 1,500 responses, in one of the biggest responses we’ve had in our engagement programme talking to parents, most of the questions are saying, ‘When are you going to start delivering it?’ So, there is enthusiasm, both from our side in terms of wanting to deliver but also from parents wanting to receive—and children wanting to receive—this great investment from this Government.