To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the terms of reference and timescale are of the Government's planned review into the funding rate of free childcare for three and four year olds.

The Government has committed to increasing the average rate that providers are paid for the entitlement and in order to deliver this I can confirm that a cross-Government review of the cost of providing childcare is underway.

The objective of the review is to inform decisions on the level of funding providers require to deliver quality childcare provision at good value to the taxpayer, and to be consistent with the government’s fiscal plans.

A call for evidence to inform the review was launched on 15 June and will close on 10 August. This is part of a process of gathering the necessary evidence which will inform the outcome of the review and will report in the autumn.

The call for evidence is available here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/cost-of-providing-childcare-review-call-for-evidence