But children's minister Beverley Hughes said, 'The evidence points incompletely the opposite direction', while reiterating her view thatproviders should not be allowed to charge top-up fees to supplementnursery education funding for three- and four-year-olds.
Ms McIntosh told MPs that the day before the debate she had chaired ameeting of providers from the private, voluntary and independent sectorsand challenged the minister to take up an invitation to meet them.
Liberal Democrat spokesperson Annette Brooke said there was 'greatanxiety', particularly in the private sector, over whether there wasenough money in the system for providers to offer the free entitlement,ensure quality and remain viable.
Ms Hughes said that top-ups 'would create a two-tier system, because itwould allow well-off parents to buy the best nursery education, whileleaving more disadvantaged families unable to do so'.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here