To ask the Minister of Education for an update on the cross-departmental Task and Finish Group on Childcare.

As the member will be aware I made a written Ministerial Statement to this Assembly on 23rd May setting out a package of early learning and childcare measures I intend to introduce in the 2024/2025 financial year.

The cross-departmental Early Learning and Childcare Task and Finish Group has played an important role in supporting the development of these measures for which I am grateful. The Group includes representatives from the departments of Economy, Health, Finance, Communities and Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Specialist advice is also provided by economists and statisticians.

The package of measures I have constructed is designed to stabilise and support expansion of the early learning and childcare sector, over time, offer all children 22.5 hours per week pre-school provision, reduce the costs of childcare for working parents and build the evidence base necessary to inform development of the longer-term strategy. It is an ambitious programme which will ease current pressures on parents and providers and lay a firm foundation for the future. The measures will be taken forward as a package to achieve maximum impact and ensure a balanced approach across the sector as a whole.

The focus now is on implementation. Some elements of the package can progress relatively quickly while others will require more detailed co-design with stakeholders, IT infrastructure development and testing. Business case approvals will also be required for the new initiatives. The Task and Finish group will play a vital role in this next phase of the work.