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Childcare Bill

moved Amendment No. 75:"Page 23, line 12, at end insert—" ““and the reason for any such disapplication or modification must be set out clearly and published.”” The noble Baroness said: In moving Amendment No. 75 I shall speak also to Amendment No. 77, and I am grateful to the noble Baronesses, Lady Walmsley and Lady Sharp of Guildford, for adding their names to these two amendments. I also thank the Minister for the paper he provided on this issue. Both amendments insert the same wording into subsections (1) and (2) of Clause 46, which provides the Secretary of State with the power via regulation to confer exemptions from the learning and development requirements in certain prescribed circumstances. The wording would ensure that the reasons for any exemptions or modifications are published in an accessible and transparent manner. The National Children’s Bureau and the Early Childhood Forum have raised concerns about certain groups of providers being exempt from the need to meet these requirements. They state:"““Our experience indicates that this is a national framework, all providers should be expected to work towards it and that settings will not improve in quality if there are whole classes of exemptions allowed. This also has implications for the training of early years providers””." The amendments aim to clarify the process of exemptions. Clearly publishing the reasons for exemptions will help to ensure the accountability and consistency of decisions. That will help parents make better informed choices regarding the early years provider they may wish to use. I welcome the indication by the Minister in the other place and in the paper provided that exemptions are intended to be used only in ““exceptional circumstances””, and I hope that the Minister will also reassure the Committee that exemptions from the EYFS welfare requirements will not be possible. We believe that these amendments will improve the clarity and transparency of this process, and help to foster understanding and real choice in the early years foundation stage process. I beg to move.