Brian Stanley: Calls for one of eight childcare sites for Leish
Brian Stanley spoke on 29 January 2026 about the Government's new childcare scheme, welcoming the announcement but urging more capacity in Leish. He called for one of the eight premises due to be acquired in the first year to be designated for Leish to address a local shortage of childcare and early years places.
Welcome for new childcare scheme
Brian Stanley described the announcement as a welcome start, noting the reported £177 million over a five-year period and that eight buildings will be bought or acquired in the first year. He said the state buying or building childcare facilities, particularly in shortage areas, is positive though he and other members would prefer a more expansive approach.
Local shortage in Leish
He warned of a "desperate shortage" of childcare and early years learning places in Leish, stating that the county's 84 registered places are full. He relayed contacts from parents and providers saying full-day services are particularly hard to find because many people in Leish commute all day, and listed towns where shortages were reported - Doro, Abbey Leak, Strathdowne, Grey Cullen, Mount Strath, Mount Melik, Port Arlington and Port Leish.
Request for a designated site in Leish
Brian Stanley explicitly asked that one of the eight premises be designated in Leish, arguing every town in the county needs childcare places given a population surge over the last 15 years. He said he had made the case for Leish and pressed for that outcome, adding a direct appeal to a named colleague in the debate.
Funding, planning and ministerial follow-up
He repeated the funding figures and noted an exercise will identify areas where state acquisition of space is needed. He said the Minister was asked to consider Leish's case and to link with him about the intervention and site selection.
Administrative reforms and fee reductions
Brian Stanley highlighted providers' complaints about bureaucracy and welcomed planned simplification measures. He also pointed to a September measure to reduce fees for 47,000 lowest-income families as part of the broader approach to expand capacity while reducing childcare costs.
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The announcement by Government of the new childcare scheme is welcome. The idea that the Government would buy or build childcare facilities, particularly in areas where there's a shortage, it's a small start. I would wish, I suppose, as a lot of other members of the House, that it's a lot more expansive. However, it's a welcome start. It's reported that £177 million over a five-year period will be there for it, and that in the first year there will be eight buildings bought or acquired. There's a desperate shortage of childcare and early years learning places in Leish. The 84 registered places are full in the county. I have parents contacting me to say they can't get a place for their child, and particularly full day services, because a lot of people in Leish are commuting, all day services, and this is according to parents and providers and the Child Care Committee in the following towns are short. Doro, Abbey Leak, Strathdowne, Grey Cullen, Mount Strath, Mount Melik, Port Arlington and Port Leish. Every town in the county needs it. We have a population surge in the last 15 years, and that's going to continue according to government plans. I'm not against that. I'm okay with that. But we need more child places. My ask is to designate one of those eight premises in Leish. We need it. You should conclude with this, Andy. Thank you. Thank you very much. It was quite rightly, from your perspective, a view in relation to Leish having a need for this. Firstly, thank you for the acknowledgement that this, I think, is a positive policy direction. I'm very eager that the state invests directly in trying to acquire space, public space, to provide capacity, because we're having a debate in this House, quite rightly, about reducing childcare fees. We have a very clear view of where we want to get to over the lifetime of the government. But alongside that, we're going to need places. We're going to need capacity. We're going to need to support staff. We have identified that money. There will be, I suppose, an exercise done in identifying areas, of which I'm sure there's many, where there is a need for that intervention. You've obviously made your case in relation to Leish. I'll ask the Minister to consider those matters and link with you. We will see increases in simplification this year. One of the big bugbearers we're hearing from childcare providers is the amount of bureaucracy. We need to cut that back. We'll also see, in September, reductions in fees for 47,000 lowest-income families in terms of their childcare team.
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