To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the number of children in lower-income working families using formal childcare. (149234)

The 2004-05 Childcare Survey showed that there were 614,000 children in lower income working families using formal childcare¹.

By 2008, the Department aims to increase the number of children in lower-income working families using formal childcare by 120,000 children from the 2004-05 baseline. This forms part of the PSA target to

‘Safeguard children and young people, improve their life outcomes and general well-being, and break cycles of deprivation’

and will contribute to achieving this target by helping to reduce the proportion of children living in households where no one is working.

The figures showing progress towards this target will be available in September 2007 when the results of the 2007 Childcare Survey will be published.

¹ Childcare and Early Years Provision: A Study of Parents' Use, Views and Experiences, Research Report 723; DfES. Bryson, C., Kazimirski, A. and Southwood, H. (2006). This report is available at:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR723.pdf