To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he made of the number of childminders in (a) England and (b) each London borough in each quarter of each year from 2005 to 2009. (325564)

[holding answer 6 April 2010]: Ofsted have collected information on the number of registered child care providers and registered child care places available to children under eight years of age on a quarterly basis from March 2003.

All information, including numbers of childminders, by local authority, is published on Ofsted’s website and can be found using the following links:

Information from 2008 onwards:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Statistics/Childcare-and-early-years/Childcare-providers-and-places/Registered-childcare-providers-and-places-in-England-December-2008-onwards

Information between September 2006 and August 2008:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Statistics/Childcare-and-early-years/Childcare-providers-and-places/Registered-childcare-providers-and-places-in-England-September-2006-to-August-2008

Information between March 2003 and June 2006:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Statistics/Childcare-and-early-years/Childcare-providers-and-places/Registered-childcare-providers-and-places-in-England-March-2003-June-2006