Child care providers in the maintained and the private, voluntary and independent sectors all have a vital role in ensuring that local authorities can fulfil their new duties to secure sufficient child care for working parents and parents with disabled children, and to improve the well-being of young children. I am personally very keen to hear the voice of providers, and I take every opportunity to do so. I want local authorities to do the same.
Will the Minister therefore hear the voice of the voluntary, private and independent providers in my constituency? They are concerned that following the full implementation of the code of practice next month, there will be a loss of provision in my constituency. Many are concerned that the Government do not understand that what is effectively a one-size-fits-all approach does not take account of the shortfall in funding.
I would have those concerns, if they had proved to be true. The hon. Gentleman is jumping the gun somewhat. I understand that so far a third of providers have signed the new funding agreement with Enfield council, his local authority, and that the rest of them have almost three months to do so. I am clear that the £3 billion that the Government are putting in for the free entitlement is absolutely adequate.
I ask the hon. Gentleman to consider the amount of money that his council is forwarding to private and voluntary providers. Given the size of its dedicated schools grant, the allocation is less than the national average. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman talks to his council to see whether it is passing on all the money from the Government that it can.