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Childcare Bill

My Lords, this is a matter of the sustainability of some private and voluntary settings. I have visited more than one setting where the staff have been very distressed about a situation which is already affecting them whereby some families want the full provision now, but cannot afford the top-up fees, and the nurseries are letting them use the facility at their own expense. As the noble Baroness, Lady Morris, has just clearly explained, the grant does not fully cover the costs. So long as all children who are entitled to the full provision are able to obtain it somewhere in the local authority area or somewhere appropriate if their parents require it, I see no reason why we should not allow this level of flexibility in order to sustain some very worthwhile settings. I hope that the Minister will think again about this.