Taxpayers to fund nursery for parliament

[AtheneNoctua]

So. MPs will have to pay "market rates" (I hope they are inflated to reflect their location in central London!) for using the nursery. But, taxpayers will pay to convert the bar into the nursery.

After all the government doesn't do to help me with my childcare, how dare they use my hard earned tax money to help pay for theirs?

And, also, is a nursery suitable childcare for an MP? I mean, don't they need the extended hours that only a nanny can provide. And don't we already pay them enough to employ a nanny???

Sorry, the link: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8415157.stm

will they claim the nursery fees on their expenses?

more details in this article.

"Under plans to be announced shortly, the House of Commons will for the first time offer a flexible "short-term, short-notice" child minding service on the Parliamentary estate.

The children of secretaries, civil servants, police officers and other pass holders working in the Commons will also be entitled to use the nursery facilities from the start of the new school year. "

I think it's a good idea. Might attract more women into parliament or men who are committed to equal parenting.

so not just for MPs either

And tbh it's a bit naieve to think that any building work that is done in/around Parliament doesn't come out of your taxes.

I'd rather they were spending it on allowing MP's with young children to be able to do the job than some of the other facilities on offer in the commons

"There is a hairdresser, travel agent, post offices and numerous restaurants and bars in the Commons, it makes sense that there should also be a crèche.? "

which were also no doubt paid for by taxpayers money.

How nice for them. Why can't we have the same?

But a bar will bring in more money, allowing parliament to make some money from them. Surely if a restaurant moves in, the restaurant pays for the conversion.

Where's my nursery? They do nothing for my childcare which is an expense I incur for the sole purpose of going to work. And now that their second homes are in jeopardy, they get childcare assistance???

Why not help all working parents? No no. Perks just for the government. But we could all use a nursery at work, or at least a tax break to help pay the ones we already have.

"An MP would be expected to pay around £300 a week to have their child cared for for six hours a day"

Ok, sounds like a bit of hot air now. Who would pay £300 per week for six hours a day? That's £10 per hour per child. Surely you would get a childminder or a nanny for that price and have more flexibility to do your job, and not be restricted to 6 hours.

I wouldn't think police officers and secretaries can afford that rate of childcare.

And how does one know the nursery will have space?

Sounds like a big announcement with little substance behind it.

please can someone tell me what the tax payer DOES NOT FUND!?!?

my childcare

"will for the first time offer a flexible "short-term, short-notice"

I wouldn't be shocked to pay £10 an hour or more for short-term, short-notice childcare - and I'm not even in London.

and the tax payers aren't going to be paying for their childcare - they're paying to have the bar (presumably no longer used/not making any money) turned into a creche - is that any bigger deal than having them repair the leaky roof or, any of the other myriad of bilding/repair work I'm sure they do each year with tax payers money?

Lots of people work in the parliament buildings who aren't MPs. They need childcare too. And lots of gov departments have nurseries attached to them. As an earlier poster said, it's an important part of recruitment and retention of women. It might cost a small amount to set up the facility but I bet it more than pays for itself in terms of increasing retention of staff and therefore reducing costs of running recruitment campaigns to replace those who never return from maternity leave.

according to that article lots of parliaments around the world have a a creche or nursery etc attached to them - perhaps it's about time the English one caught up

as according to this article from 2005 (so could have closed - I don't know) Scotland has had a creche facility for some years.

if you think how many people work in the HoC, taking 40 children is nothing. It won't be big enough by miles. But yes, a good start.

Quite a few large multinats have work place nurseries. I looked at a few jobs with places like them several years ago - there were (quite literally) streams of parents going for those jobs. They do a very good job of persuading people back to work!

Just checking namechange worked...

I have namechanged for this as I work at Parliament Don't know why I felt I had to as I'm meant to be anonymous on MN but hey ho!

I am very excited about the creche. It is ludicrous that we haven't had one before. I can't believe it has taken a man (speaker bercow) to make it happen. I think there hasn't been the pressure in the past as MPs have tended to be older with grown up children. I once walked past the tights machine under central lobby and heard a male MP saying "we had to put this in after blair's babes were all elected in 1997!". I mean, a forking tights machine - is that really all they could stretch to in the name of gender equality???

I really hope that it will help attract a more diverse range of MPs. Nursery care in Westminster costs between £65 - £85 per day and that would be for the standard 8am - 6pm. MPs have to be here when the House is sitting, which is from 2.30pm - 10.30pm on a monday and tuesday, slightly earlier the rest of the week. So the key thing about this creche is that it will be flexible and short notice.

I am not sure yet as to weather it will help me, as an employee. I certainly couldn't afford to pay £10 per hour.

Unfortunately we don't have an eyeroll emoticon.

It's about time organisations put in place facilities/practices to enable more women (and men) with family responsibilities to fully participate in the workplace. MPs are no different, and I for one would like to see more qualified women in parliament/cabinet/senior public sector positioins. Have you seen a photo of Gordon Browns cabinet? How can that group of homogenous individuals be expected to take the best decisions for our diverse country?

IMO this is no different to othe public sector/tax payer funded organisations facilitating childcare on site. AFAIK many of them do including BBC, NHS etc.