AQW 22955/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 19/02/2025
Answered On Date: 26/02/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for an update of where the £25 million Early Learning and Childcare Executive funding has been (i) spent; and (ii) earmarked for.

Answer:

My written statement to the Assembly in May 2024 set out the earmarked allocations from the £25 Early Learning and Childcare package:

Written Ministerial Statement - Early Learning and Childcare Measures 2024/25 | Department of Education.

The final spend position is not yet available. However, monitoring to date indicates that the profile is broadly in line with the earmarked allocations with the exception of £1.8m intended for a targeted childcare business support fund, which was returned to the Department of Finance as part of January monitoring. I will provide the final expenditure position at the end of the financial year.