To ask the Minister of Education for an update on the Executive Childcare Strategy.

Miss McIlveen

Work on the development of the Executive's childcare strategy had to be paused at the beginning of the pandemic in order to focus all our efforts on providing emergency financial support to the childcare sector. That financial support was critical to ensuring the survival of many childcare providers and to underpin economic recovery. Since April 2020, almost £40 million has been allocated to support the childcare sector. Despite work on emergency support schemes continuing, my Department began to re-engage with stakeholders at the end of last year on what a longer-term Executive childcare strategy should address. A strategic insight programme took place between October and December 2021, which involved sessions with parents, providers and MLAs and a two-day intensive insight lab with key stakeholders. That has produced a lot of material, which we are assessing. Further focused engagement with stakeholders on key themes is also likely to be required. In addition to that, subject to available resources, we plan to commission an independent review of childcare services in Northern Ireland. That will provide evidence on a range of issues, including the cost of childcare for families, supply and demand issues and the challenges in delivering childcare. All that will be essential in informing the direction of the strategy. We had hoped that, by this stage, the emergency schemes to support the sector through the pandemic would no longer be required and that staff resources could be focused solely on the development of the childcare strategy, but, unfortunately, that has not happened. With the emergence of the omicron variant, there has been a requirement to turn our attention again to emergency COVID-19 support funding, and that will inevitably have an impact on the pace of progress on the strategy. However, I remain committed to doing everything possible to build the case and bring forward costed options. The work that I have outlined will provide the evidence on which informed decisions can be made. Ultimately, it will be for a future Executive to agree what commitments the strategy should contain and to provide the funding to deliver them.

Miss McIlveen

I thank the Member for her question. We will go through a series of processes in order to get to a draft strategy. As I outlined in my initial answer, the team was redirected to other work in the last couple of years, and, unfortunately, we are not in a position to present a draft strategy. I had hoped that we would have that completed by autumn this year, but, given the consequences of omicron and so on, that timeline will have shifted. We will certainly not be in a position to consult on the strategy at that point, and, therefore, any discussion in relation to any budget that will be required is a moot point at this stage.

Mr O'Dowd

Is it not better to be honest with the sector and with those families who are waiting on a childcare strategy and say that it is going nowhere? The DUP's decision to walk out of the joint First Ministers' office, the fact that there is no functioning Executive and your call that you will not go back into the Executive after the election means that things like this are going nowhere. Is it not better for you to stand at the dispatch box and tell the sector that?

Miss McIlveen

I thank the Member for his question, which is probably much more of a political point. The reality of the situation is that we are much further behind with a strategy than I would have liked. My predecessor would have liked this to have been progressed much further so that we could have had a draft strategy agreed well in advance of the end of the mandate as it was. I am not telling any lies when I say that we are not in a position to have a strategy published. The timeline looked towards the autumn of 2022, and we are not in that place. I do not think that I can be any clearer than that.

Mr O'Toole

I guess I should congratulate the Minister for her candour about the lack of progress on the childcare strategy. Further to Kellie Armstrong's point, however, it is critical that the strategy be costed when it is finally delivered. Now that there is a pause in the Budget — an unwelcome one from my perspective, given the walkout — there is time to ensure that the childcare strategy is delivered and ready to go and that it is properly costed.

Will the Minister action her officials to make sure that that childcare strategy is costed and will be included in the three-year Budget that, we hope, will be agreed after the election?

Miss McIlveen

I thank the Member for his question. The childcare strategy is critical for us moving forward. If nothing else, COVID shone a light on the need for high-quality and affordable childcare for everyone. This is incredibly important work. Obviously, it has been delayed as a consequence of COVID, but, when we get to the point of having a strategy, it will need to be costed. The House, in whatever format and whoever is in it, will need to take that seriously. I appreciate the comments that the Member has made. Certainly, that is my intent.

Ms Sugden

Politics aside and moving forward, does the Minister believe that we should review how we allocate preschool places to the statutory and non-statutory sectors as part of the childcare strategy?

Miss McIlveen

I thank the Member for her question. There is quite a conversation to be had about childcare, the offering and how it is allocated, particularly around the community and voluntary sector. That sector faces incredible challenges — different challenges — particularly in relation to its staff, the allocation of its staff and the payment of its staff. In the round, all childcare, not just one aspect of it, needs to be looked at.

Mr Buckley

The Minister understands fully the impact of the affordability of childcare, particularly on working families. I know families who are making the decision not to work because of increased childcare costs, particularly alongside the increase in the cost of living. Will the Minister clarify whether the childcare strategy will specifically address childcare affordability, particularly for working families?

Miss McIlveen

I thank the Member for his question. I am aware that affordability is frequently cited as a key issue for families when accessing childcare. It was a key theme that came out of the strategic insight lab. My Department is keen to ensure that families access all the financial support that they are entitled to with the cost of childcare. Work is ongoing with HMRC on the promotion of tax-free childcare for working parents. That UK-wide scheme provides 20% of childcare costs for parents. Up to 85% of childcare costs may be paid to parents who are currently in receipt of universal credit. The research report on a review of childcare services in Northern Ireland will provide further insight into the cost of childcare for parents across Northern Ireland. My officials will continue to engage with stakeholders and providers to monitor the cost of childcare and the cost of providing childcare, which we also need to bear in mind. Executive agreement will be required if significant policy decisions and actions are required within the childcare strategy, and, obviously, they will have to be part of an agreed overall Budget. Affordability needs to be key in all of this.

Mr Speaker

The Members who are down for the next two questions are not in their place. I call Peter Weir.