PARENTS living in more deprived parts of affluent areas of Greater Manchester cannot afford pre-school places for their children, says a new report.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee today welcomed the growth in the number of childcare and early education places available but said there were problem areas.

The committee accepts that there has been a net growth of 325,000 places but areas such as Altrincham have problems. The committee says that mothers of very young children in these areas still have little choice, financially, but to return to work.

The committee, whose members included Tatton Tory George Osborne says there are 2.9 million children in England below compulsory school age. The government promised to create places for one million of them by this year but underestimated the rate of child-minder closures.

The committee suggests that the number of childcare places for pre-school children is worst in the north east at 25 per 100 children with the north west at 30, compared to 44 in the south east.

They claim that many school premises are under-used, but head teachers have been reluctant to provide childcare. Tweet