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Childcare Bill

My Lords, certainly for my part—and, I hope, on behalf of all noble Lords who have been pressing for this—I thank the Minister for listening and for his lengthy consultations with the NCB. The amendment will serve everyone’s purpose and will not put unreasonable duties on local authorities. I very much welcome his confirmation that local authorities will be able to do their own research, rather than just relying on research done by other people, and his commendation of the Listening as a way of life practice developed by the NCB for Sure Start. I hope that the guidance will encourage local authorities to realise that there are very few areas where it would be inappropriate to consult even very young children. If they try it, they will find that they like it and that it is a very worthwhile exercise. I thank the Minister for this. It will make a big difference to the way in which local authorities view consulting young people.