4. Government Work Plan 2023-25

Committee

Proposition

To insert a new proposition 2A as follows: “ 2A 1. To direct the Committee for Employment and Social Security to investigate the costs and benefits of providing free or subsidised childcare to those under 2 years of age, taking into account the benefits to improved labour force participation and productivity, and exploring the scope of delivering such provision on a cost-neutral basis to the States such as by prioritising redistribution of funding from the existing benefits system, e.g. family allowance, and to report back to the States by the end of 2024. 2. To direct the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture to explore the extension of the provision of free pre-school education for the benefit of improving educational outcomes and the positive effect such extension can have on improving labour force participation, working with the Committee for Employment and Social Security to determine the scope of funding such provision through redistribution of the existing benefits system, e.g. family allowance. 3. To direct the Committee for Employment and Social Security and the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture to investigate the costs, benefits and models for helping parents with childcare and holiday-cover provision during school holidays for primary age children, where such support will assist parents with labour force participation, while improving educational, health and other outcomes and to report back by the end of 2024.