“We welcome the announcement by the Secretary of State for Education to give parents the right to request that schools provide childcare for the working day, and look forward to hearing more detail about this proposal. “Some of the biggest gaps in childcare provision identified by local authorities are after-school and holiday childcare. Schools have an important role to play in this, but it is essential that they are given the support they will need to be able to deliver quality childcare beyond school hours. “This is why we are calling on the Government to use the £535 million saved from the delay to Tax Free Childcare and invest this money in childcare settings now so they are able to offer existing and expanded free hours of childcare at times when working parents need them.”