Michael Howard unveils new childcare plans
Conservative leader Michael Howard has announced new childcare plans in a bid to get his party’s pre-election campaign back on track.
The Tory announcement follows the de-selection of party deputy chairman Howard Flight, who suggested the Conservatives were hiding the true scale of their planned spending cuts.
Mr Howard today pledged to help a quarter of a million “hard-working families” with up to 50 pounds a week extra towards childcare costs.
The childcare plans, costed at 460 million pounds a year, would be introduced in 2008 if the Conservatives reclaimed power.
The cash would be additional to tax credits and available to grandparents, friends and neighbours providing informal childcare.
The Conservative leader also announced more maternity leave for working mothers, promising increases of up to £1,400.
Mr Howard said the policy was designed to help parents “get the right balance between work and the rest of life.”
Currently allowances for childcare are paid to families who receive the Working Tax Credit, which is paid out to those in lower-paid jobs. Those eligible for the “childcare element” of the benefit can get up to 70 per cent of childcare costs refunded.
But under the scheme, the childcare must be provided by registered childminders, nurseries, out of school clubs or other registered schemes.
Highlighting the difference between Labour and his own party on childcare, Mr Howard told the Telegraph: “Ours is a way of introducing flexibility into the childcare system and freeing up some of the rigidities of the present Government’s approach. I think it will be a real value to 250,000 parents.”
