Select committee: Petitions Committee
Conclusion 16
First Report - Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on
Published 7 Oct 2021
Paragraph 57
Petitions Committee Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Despite childcare settings being allowed to remain open since summer 2020, levels of activity remain below pre-pandemic levels. We welcome the steps taken by the Government to support the sector financially during covid-19, but this has not prevented many providers seeing a significant impact on their finances. With ongoing uncertainty about future demand for their services, there is a real risk the pandemic will contribute to an ongoing erosion of provision or even act as a tipping point and accelerate this trend. Long-term, targeted support from the Government will be required to avoid this outcome, which would have serious consequences for children’s early education and parents’ workforce participation.
From: Petitions Committee, First Report - Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on (HC 479), paragraph 57, 7 October 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 March 2022 (deadline 7 December 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government sets out funding and support for new parents but states it "will not be developing an isolated strategy" on the pandemic's impact, and "will not be launching an independent review of childcare at this time".
- On mental health and early years support, it points to existing and announced measures, including £100 million for bespoke mental health support for new and expectant parents and a £500 million families and early years package over three years.
- On redundancy protection, it "remains committed to extending" protections for new and expectant mothers and intends to introduce the measures "as soon as Parliamentary time allows", without giving a date.
- On extending the time limit for employment tribunal claims, it "continues to look closely" at the change but says it "will be given sufficient time for consideration".
- On Maternity Allowance in Universal Credit, it states "We have no plans to change the way that Maternity Allowance is treated in Universal Credit."