To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they will introduce to ensure that parents can meet childcare costs; and whether they will ensure that the working tax credit is adequate for such purpose and to keep more parents in work. [HL5795]

The tax credits system provides significant support to working parents with childcare costs. 470,000 families currently benefit from the childcare support available through the childcare element of working tax credit; 15 times more families than were helped by comparable support in 1997. The majority of claimants receive 80 per cent of their childcare costs; the average amount of support that each family receives is £68 per week.