PM 'won't boost free childcare because it was Liz Truss' idea', ministers claim

21 January 2023 , 19:10

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Tory ministers claim the PM shelved the idea because the ex-PM is 'toxic' (Image: Getty Images)

Tory ministers claim Rishi Sunak refuses to increase free childcare hours to help working parents because Liz Truss thought of it first.

In her brief spell as PM Ms Truss wanted to extend the support for three and four year olds from 30 hours to 50 hours a week.

But the present PM has shelved the plan to save cash and ministers have told MPs they have been ditched..

They say that Mr Sunak thinks his disastrous predecessor was so toxic he does not want to be associated with any of her ideas..

One top Tory said: “Liz Truss may have been a bit of a catastrophe, but that does not mean everything she wanted to do was bad.

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“And at a time when businesses need staff it is potty that parents cannot afford to work.”

The cost of nursery care has soared 42% in the last ten years and parents who want their child looked after so they can do a job now face annual bills of £14,000.

The cost of nursery care has soared 42% in ten years (Scott Heppell/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

Shadow Work and Pensions minister Maeve Sherlock said: “That’s two thirds of median-take home pay.

“The Government does not pay enough to cover costs so providers are going out of business.”

Although child care groups favour the increase in hours they opposed Ms Truss’s cost cutting plan to increase the number of children each carer was allowed to look after.

Under the present system one adult is expected to supervise every eight children aged three, and one for every four children aged two.

Dominique Fourniol of Coram Family and Childcare said: “Current high childcare costs are leaving parents with a choice of paying to work or dropping out of work completely.

“But we do not support any proposal to relax childcare ratios.”

And Neil Leitch of the Early Years Alliance added: “Parents pay some of the highest prices in the world. Investment into the early years is vital.”

The Tories have closed 1,300 of Labour ’s Sure Start Centres since coming to power and replaced them with just 75 family hubs.

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But Education minister Baroness Diana Barran said £3.5billion has been provided to support families over the last three years.

She added: “The Government are absolutely committed to families getting the right, co-ordinated early help.”

A Government source described Mr Sunak ignoring Ms Truss’s ideas as “nonsense”.

Nigel Nelson