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MNHQ

Live webchat about childcare reform with Liz Truss, Education & Childcare Minister, Thursday 7 February, 1pm

11 replies

JustineMumsnet · 06/02/2013 13:14

Hello hello,

We'll be welcoming the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare - Elizabeth Truss MP - for a webchat on Thursday Feb 7th (tomorrow) 1pm - 2pm.

As the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk, Elizabeth Truss lives in Downham Market with her husband and two daughters. She was brought up in Yorkshire and, before entering Parliament, worked as the Deputy Director at the think-tank Reform. She also worked in the energy and telecommunications industry for 10 years and is a qualified management accountant.

Elizabeth recently wrote a Mumsnet guest blog on the Government's plans for childcare reform, which generated this recent thread - and childcare expert Penelope Leach responded to the proposals here.

Do post your question in advance on this thread, or join us live on Thursday 1pm-2pm.

And, as ever, a gentle reminder to all to stick to our webchat guidelines.

Many thanks.

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MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 06/02/2013 13:51

@NickNacks

Is that not today?

not that I wish to point out your error your gracious :)

oopsy - txs

MNHQ

JaneGMumsnet · 07/02/2013 11:15

Hi there,

The National Childminding Association's Joint Chief Executives, Catherine Farrell and Liz Bayram, have asked us to pose the following question:

"How will you ensure that local authorities continue to support individual childminders to improve rather than relying on childminding agencies alone?"

Thanks
MNHQ

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/02/2013 12:52

Very pleased to say that the Minister is hear and will be kicking off shortly.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/02/2013 13:51

Reminder folks to stick to one question - and perhaps a follow up - each please? So more people can get answered.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/02/2013 16:31

@vezzie

OI MNHQ, you deleted my post - presumably the one that said, "are you stupid?" - that is not a personal attack, it's a question. On that basis you could never try anyone for a crime because it would be considered MEAN to ask the person in the dock if they had done it.

Yes we did delete it Vezzie, not so much for being a personal attack but for rudeness - see our webchat guidelines (specifically number 4) re "be polite".
Thanks

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 08/02/2013 13:16

Hi all,
The reaction to this webchat has been interesting. From our end I can honestly say it didn't seem like Liz Truss was cherry-picking the questions or avoiding the difficult ones, she very nearly addressed all those we suggested she should. The real issue, as I see it, is that there is a genuine disagreement about the way she sees things and many way many people on here see them, so folks weren't happy with her answers! As it happens I think her team did as much preparation as any before coming (they definitely checked the thread and prepared answers to some of the early questions).

And I certainly don't think it was wrong to have the minister, who is after all the driving force behind these proposed changes to childcare ratios, onto Mumsnet to discuss them. There can be no doubt that she and her team will have gone away with a strong sense of the concern/scepticism/dislike of the some of the things she's proposing. Realistically though, no minister is going to concede that much on the hoof on a public forum this early in the consultation process. If there was was question she did avoid it was the "will you give up on these proposals if the response is as negative as it seems here?" one that was asked a couple of times.

Honestly, I don't actually believe there will be any attempt to suggest Mumsnet has blessed anything and I've been pretty out there in the media reflecting the concerns on here results of our survey with the Daycare Trust which indicated that only 5% of parents supported ratio increases even if it meant lower costs. But we will of course keep a close eye, as I am sure, will you all Wink.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 08/02/2013 13:30

Hi Vezzie,
If we felt the webchat response was being misrepresented we would 1. register our protest to the minister 2. work very hard to publicly refute what she was saying.
As said, I think it's very unlikely to be misrepresented in the sense of implying that Mumsnet has endorsed/blessed these proposals.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 08/02/2013 14:44

I don't think there's any need for a statement - the media are fully aware of this webchat - we sent out a press release and a heads up beforehand and indeed many of them regularly use MN so I'm quite sure it will get referenced. It would be odd to pre-empt something that is imho unlikely to happen and to be honest would be a bit rude to our webchat guest - assuming they are going to misrepresent the situation.

We are however continuing to reflect the view that the strong evidence from MN (survey and forum) is that our users don't support and increase in childcare ratios. Just given a quote to the Mail on Sunday on this very issue.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 08/02/2013 14:50

@FunnysInLaJardin

'Very pleased to say that the Minister is hear and will be kicking off shortly.'

You can tell it was a serious web chat. No one picked Justine up on the above Grin

Cripes.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 11/02/2013 14:27

@vezzie

Don't know if there was a fb group about this - the one that Bicnod mentioned is our antenatal group, April 09 - so not really relevant!

I accept that MN thought that "are you stupid?" was rude and deleted it, but the comment I made about Truss stuffing irrelevant facts like an overstretched CM stuffing biscuits into children's mouths.... well ok it was a bit flippant, but nothing compared to bogstandard argy-bargy in the House of Commons. It was a relevant point - Truss was really bombastically and complacently refusing to answer questions.

I am quite pissed off actually that such a broad definition of "rude" pertains here. What is the point of inviting guests if they can ride roughshod over us like this and no one is allowed to comment? I get that MNHQ have to retain a cosy tea party atmosphere to keep high profile guests coming on, but that sort of bossy censorship goes too far in the sense that it substantively censors the debate - it's not like deleting a few random insults. I was pointing out - yes flippantly, but is that a crime? - that Truss was being really disrespectful to the substantive nature of the questions, and it got swept away in case the precious flower was upset. She doesn't need protection from us. She is an MP in the HOC for heaven's sake.

I am reporting this post, and reinstating my mn-retirement.

Well, yes, we certainly think we should go for higher standards of civility than the House of Commons Vezzie (although that's not such a high bar Smile). Disagree, as said, that Liz Truss was refusing to answer questions, though certainly answers were not what many wanted to hear.

MNHQ

RowanMumsnet · 28/04/2013 19:48

Hello,

We just wanted to give you an update on the childcare ratios issue following this webchat. Of the 407 posts, the Minister?s voice in support of the plans was singular ? parents, voters and childcare workers spoke out in force and unanimously against increases to childcare ratios. The message we received was clear: there is precious little support on Mumsnet for this policy.

Because of this, numerous threads on Mumsnet, and knowing that just 5% of surveyed Mumsnetters said they?d be happy to see the number of childcare staff reduced (even if that meant the cost of childcare was to fall), we've been in touch with the Pre-school Learning Alliance's and are happy to be backing its campaign ?Rewind on Ratios?.

The ?Rewind on Ratios? campaign calls on the Government to scrap its plans on childcare ratios changes, and to undertake a full consultation with practitioners and parents on future proposals. They highlight concerns for both child safety and child support, if childcare ratios are to be relaxed (you can read more about this here.) They're asking parents to sign their official Government e-petition and the Alliance's paper petition; currently around 22,000 parents have backed the campaign.

JustineMumsnet announced Mumsnet's backing of "Rewind on Ratios", saying: 'There's a lot of concern amongst Mumsnet users about the Government's plans to relax childcare ratios. Four babies under the age of one seems like a lot for even the most experienced childcare worker to manage. When we surveyed our members about the cost of childcare, only 5% of parents supported ratio relaxation even if it meant lower costs. We really do think the Government needs to rethink its plans.'

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