WORCESTER’S MP Robin Walker writes for the Observer…
The week after a budget is a moment to get beyond the headlines and slogans and get into the detail of what has changed. There were some welcome decisions around freezing fuel duty, extension of energy support for households and increasing the Draught allowance to support pubs. There was welcome news on growth being better than expected and inflation coming down faster than originally forecast, but this remained a tough budget in which there were few big giveaways or spending announcements.
As Chairman of the Education Select Committee I’ve been making the case for investing more in childcare and early education – a win win because it supports children in their development and education and parents who want to be able to return to work. I’ve head from local nurseries about the pressures they are facing and from local parents who want more support.
I was therefore delighted that in the midst of our inquiry, the Chancellor announced one of his biggest spending decisions was to invest up to £4 billion per year in childcare.
Government spending on the early years will rise from around £5 billion per year today to £9 billion in five years time. It has already nearly trebled since 2010 but, as I argued in a major debate just a week before the budget, investing here generates a strong return both in terms of children’s life chances and household budgets. It is right in my view that a significant proportion of the money should go on helping nurseries to deliver the existing funded hours. Funding for this hadn’t kept pace with inflation over a number of years and raising it to £5.50 per hour for three and four year olds, £8 per hour for two year olds and more for the under twos will make a real difference.
Extending the 30 hours to parents of children under three will be game changing in the long run, but will take time to deliver and I totally appreciate the frustration of parents whose children are now between one and three who feel that they might miss out, I am one of them! On balance though it has to be right to work with nurseries and childminders to build up capacity rather than announcing new “free hours” which they might either struggle or fail to deliver. By reforming Universal credit, increasing incentives for people to register as childminders, better funding the existing entitlements and growing the number of parents who are supported with subsidised hours, the budget will make a big difference to the quality and affordability of childcare.
Another focus of the budget was supporting the NHS by reforming pension arrangements that have forced too many doctors to retire early. This is clearly the right thing to do and should help in our mission to reduce waiting lists. I have kept up my campaign to bring funded places to our medical school which will open in September and used my budget speech, as well as a meeting with MPs from across the 3 counties with the health minister to press for this.
