Clause 32 - Maintenance of the two childcare registers
Childcare Bill
6:30 pm

Annette Brooke (Shadow Minister, Education & Skills; Mid Dorset and North Poole, Liberal Democrat)

In representations that we have received on the issue of the two child care registers, a number of organisations were concerned that it might be confusing to have two. Will the Minister comment on how that would be dealt with, so that there is no confusion?

Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families), Department for Education and Skills; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)

Once people become familiar with the new regulation inspection framework, they will see that the matter makes sense in the panoply of new arrangements that the Bill is putting forward. There will be an early-years register for all providers of care for children under five, who will be compelled to register. There will also be the Ofsted child care register for children aged over five but under eight. That will be split into two parts. As the hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole will know, child minders will be required to register, and providers for those aged over eight may register voluntarily. That reflects the new structure of regulation and inspection in the Bill, which reflects the early-years foundation stage and so on, and it makes sense in the light of the new arrangements that we are debating. Clearly, Ofsted will do its best to ensure that people understand the new arrangements. They will become familiar with the arrangements once they become well known, and they are fairly well known already.