Childcare Bill

I could not possibly comment on the latter point, but I agree with the hon. Gentleman on the former. Clearly, common sense is needed, as children develop at different rates. The Bill, in fact, says that that is the case. Within the context of children developing differently, may I emphasise the special needs of children with a disability? The outcomes for them in the framework must be linked to their own personal development. To sum up, I warmly welcome the Bill. It is an excellent piece of legislation which will bring in much clearer standards and better joint working, not just between the statutory agencies and local authorities, but with a range of child care providers. We need to take into account what we are told by the Pre-School Learning Alliance and private nurseries. They want to be part of the provision. As the Bill is debated, there will be further discussion of the role of local authorities in liaising with existing child care providers, which have a key role. The test for the Bill will be whether it provides affordable and accessible child care services to everyone. The framework represents a move in the right direction, which I find reassuring. I look forward to further debate, but above all, I look forward to the Bill being implemented so that child care is improved and becomes more accessible, so that parents and children can benefit from it.