Clause 98 - Subordinate legislation: parliamentary control
Childcare Bill
10:30 am
Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families), Department for Education and Skills; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
As the hon. Gentleman reminded us, clause 7 replaces and extends an existing duty on local authorities to secure sufficient nursery education for children of a prescribed age in their area. The aim is to allow the Secretary of State not only to prescribe the age at which children become eligible for the free entitlement, but progressively to extend that free entitlement in line with the commitments outlined in the 10-year child care strategy.
It is perplexing that the hon. Gentleman thinks that the regulations should be subject to the affirmative process now. The regulation-making powers are not new and build on powers that the Secretary of State has had since 1998 for funded nursery education, which have operated successfully since then. I cannot see any need to change the current position; it is not about changing policy. We are all in agreement about the importance of continuing early years provision and extending it where we can, and so the age at which that becomes operative, and the amount of free provision, will be subject to progressive extension as resources allow. That is an administrative decision that will not change the fundamental policy of providing the free entitlement to young children and ensuring that we can go as far as we can in that direction.