Results 1-6 of 6 for ("top up" fees) speaker:Beverley Hughes

[Mr. Bill Olner in the Chair] — Parenting and Child Care (3 Jul 2007)

Beverley Hughes: ...s position on several issues, not least that of inequality. We removed inequality with the Childcare Act 2006, which the Conservatives voted against. On this issue, they are wedded to the idea of a top-up fee or voucher system, which would create a two-tier system, because it would allow well-off parents to buy the best nursery education, while leaving more disadvantaged families unable to...

[Mr. Bill Olner in the Chair] — Parenting and Child Care (3 Jul 2007)

Beverley Hughes: As far as I am concerned, the Conservatives have been supporting providers who are calling for top-up fees to be allowed. That was the reason for my comments. I return to the comparison between the UK and Sweden. Care and education in the early years are now being integrally linked, as they already have been in Sweden. The early years foundation stage, which is based on play but moves towards...

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Skills: Nursery Services (15 Mar 2007)

Beverley Hughes: ...that we ensure that providers and local authorities understand that this is a free entitlement. That is the point of it. We do not want to discriminate between parents who could afford to pay top-up fees and those who could not. From my discussions with local authorities and the broad swathe of providers, I am convinced that the £3 billion a year that the Government are committing to...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Nursery Education (9 Jan 2007)

Beverley Hughes: Child care provision, free at the point of delivery, has been a universal entitlement for all four-year-olds since 1998 and for all three-year-olds since 2004. It is widely supported by parents, providers, local authorities and other stakeholders. My colleagues and I regularly meet representatives of a range of stakeholders with an interest in the free entitlement and other child care issues....

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Nursery Education (28 Nov 2006)

Beverley Hughes: ...local authorities to fund delivery of the free entitlement does not cover their costs and expressed concern that, in their view, the code of practice prevents, for the first time, the charging of "top-up fees" for hours covered by the free entitlement. In responding, we have been clear that we believe the £3 billion per year that the Government put into early years through the...

Written Answers — Education and Skills: Nursery Education (28 Nov 2006)

Beverley Hughes: ...came into force in April, ministerial colleagues and I have received a number of representations about the details of arrangements for increasing the free entitlement from 33 to 38 weeks and about "top up fees", which some providers wrongly believe the Code of Practice ruled out for the first time. The single substantive change to the delivery of the free early education entitlement set...