[Mr. Joe Benton in the Chair]
Childcare Bill
4:15 pm
Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families), Department for Education and Skills; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
I am glad that if, through my clarification, we have reached greater common understanding. However, it is not relevant to include that reference in this part of the Bill. We are talking about the assessment process and, on the basis of the assessment process, the identification of gaps that the local authority, with private and voluntary independent providers, can fill to obtain more child care in the authority’s area. At that point, it must obtain the child care that meets the registration standards.
From that point onwards, most authorities have a quality improvement scheme, and they work with providers to ensure that they can access local authority training. That is continuing, as the hon. Lady knows, and it will continue after the Bill is enacted. At the point of the assessment, we cannot helpfully muddy the waters by using the quality assurance process. We need a common standard that everybody understands, and that is the Ofsted registration process.
On amendment No. 304, I must return to my earlier point, which we will continue to make about the Welsh clauses. Having established the principle that assessments must be kept under review, it is right to leave the detail to be set out in regulations by the National Assembly for Wales. Under the system in England or Wales, it will be possible for parents to say to the local authority, “Our needs have changed. We want you to look at them again.” I hope that with that assurance, the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton will feel no need to press his amendment to the vote.