Clegg dismisses Tory fury over childcare

The Deputy Prime Minister said the proposals were widely opposed by parents and experts, and could have pushed costs up.

The intervention effectively ended a coalition stand-off over the key plank of flagship childcare reforms.

Proposals announced by Conservative education minister Liz Truss were due to see rules on nurseries and childminders eased from September.

Each member of staff would have been able to look after four children aged under one rather than three. The ratio for two-year-olds would have risen from four to six per adult.

But childcare experts raised concerns about the move and last month Mr Clegg said he was not persuaded the changes were right.

The Liberal Democrat leader has now written to Ms Truss telling her the plans did not have his support, effectively blowing them out of the water.

Speaking on his regular LCB 97.3 phone-in, Mr Clegg said the proposals had only ever been cleared to go out for consultation.

“What I said, by the way, very, very clearly, was that we can only decide on this when we have heard the response of people who frankly know better than any politician what it is like to look after four, five, six two-year-old toddlers,” he insisted.

Mr Clegg said replies to the consultation from nurseries, parents’ groups and other experts overwhelmingly suggested it was a bad idea.

“They thought it was a bad idea for a number of reasons, but the one that I focused on, having really looked at the responses to the consultation, was the claim initially made that it would somehow reduce the weekly childcare bill for families,” he said.

“What came back was really a very clear answer - there was no real evidence this would reduce childcare costs.

“In fact, one nursery after another that I visited said, ‘to be honest Mr Clegg ... this might well drive costs up because we are going to have to spend more money on more highly qualified (staff)’.”

He went on: “I know everyone gets sort of hot under the collar in the Westminster village, but I have a very straightforward view - if you have an idea that is controversial, you ask people what they think. When you have asked them what they think, listen to what they say, listen to what parents say, look at the evidence and then make up your mind.”

Mr Clegg said it was “flatly wrong” to accuse him of breaking any agreement with other ministers.

“What we agreed at the time was that we would consult on this proposal and not make our minds up finally until we had heard from people.”

Aides have stressed the move was “genuinely about the susbstance” of the proposals and insisted Mr Clegg had been “remorselessly led by the evidence” following consultation.

The Department for Education’s assessment that childcare bills could be cut by more than a quarter was flawed and based on an “unrealistic model”, the aide suggested.

Ms Truss had been asked early in the process to come up with amended proposals after concerns were raised by the DPM but chose to “write back with exactly the same policy”, they added.

The plans were part of a whole package of childcare reforms, which took months of coalition wrangling to assemble and included a new system of tax breaks for working parents.

In a statement last night, Mr Clegg said: “One of my absolute top priorities in Government is to deliver better quality, more affordable childcare for parents up and down the country.

“Ratios for pre-school children is just one part of a wider package of reforms being looked at in Government. I will continue to work closely with ministerial colleagues in this area and the coalition Government will come forward with other proposals in due course.”

Shadow children’s minister Sharon Hodgson said: “This just goes to show that David Cameron does not have a credible plan to help families access good quality, affordable childcare.

“The Government’s own experts were agreed that cutting childcare staff numbers would have seriously endangered quality and safety, and would not have cut costs to parents. Ministers have wasted a year on these flawed plans while childcare costs have kept on rising and thousands of childcare places have been lost.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Deputy Prime Minister has intervened and listened to the concerns and evidence gathered by the sector, parents and early years experts which dismantled the arguments for taking forward this ill-advised plan.

“It is a real testimony to the strength of those practitioners and parents who campaigned so actively over the past few months to challenge these plans.

“The sector is supportive of the Government’s aims to raise the status and quality of the childcare workforce. But this proposal was not the way to achieve this. There is no doubt that relaxing ratios would have lowered the overall quality of childcare in this country. Not only would children have received less one-to-one support from childcare workers, but their well-being would also have been put at serious risk.

Liz Bayram, joint chief executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey), said: “We are relieved to hear today that the Deputy Prime Minister has announced he will not go ahead with proposals to change current childcare ratios.

“Pacey, with the support of our members, childminders, nannies and nursery workers, has continually lobbied the Government to ensure it understands the quality and safety concerns of both childcare professionals and parents around increasing ratios.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters at a regular Westminster media briefing: “There has been a consultation and the Government will set out the final package of measures shortly.

“When the Government responds, it will take full account of the responses to the consultation and that will guide the package.”

Asked whether Mr Clegg had informed Mr Cameron in advance of today’s announcement that cuts in childcare ratios had been ruled out, the spokesman said: “The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have discussed childcare a great deal, as you would expect, given that it is a very important part of Government policy.”

In the Commons, Labour MP Andy Sawford urged the Government to clarify its position.

He said: “Given yesterday’s announcement from the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government’s plans to cram more toddlers into nurseries are being dropped. It’s welcome our campaigning about tens of thousands of parents and childcare professionals has forced the Government to drop the plans but it is shocking we have not had a statement today.

“If you (Andrew Lansley) will not arrange a statement, can you at least tell us what the current policy is? The Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday it’s been dropped - you told us this morning it’s being reviewed.

“What is the policy? It’s a shambles?”

Commons Leader Mr Lansley replied: “Our policy is to ensure the quality of childcare increases and the affordability for parents is improved.

“That is what we are setting out to do, it’s what we will do. As soon as policies have been agreed, there will be an opportunity for that to be brought to the House for announcement.”