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Written question asked by Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 25 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Paul Waugh (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 August 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Nurseries: Fees and Charges

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the yearly cost of supplementary top ups, on top of existing nursery fees.

Answer

The 15 or 30 hours must be accessible free of charge to parents and there must not be any mandatory charges for parents in relation to the free hours.

Paragraph A1.38 of the early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities states that local authorities must take all steps available to ensure that the free entitlements are available free of charge and that providers do not charge parents for top‑up fees or any general charges, including but not limited to supplementary charges on top of the government-funded hours.

The statutory guidance also emphasises transparency at the heart of how the entitlement should be passed on to parents, including that any additional costs should be clear on websites, contracts, and invoices.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13377
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Fees and charges Nurseries
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk