Nursery World - Impact of NEG overlooked

The new rules for the nursery education grant have been called into question, after it emerged that the DfES may have failed to follow Government procedure. Cabinet Office guidelines state that a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) must be completed for all policy changes 'which could affect the public or private sectors, charities, the voluntary sector or small businesses'.

Cabinet Office guidelines state that a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) must be completed for all policy changes 'which could affect the public or private sectors, charities, the voluntary sector or small businesses'.

However, Nursery World has learned that an RIA was not carried out when the revised Code of Practice on the provision of free nursery education places for three- and four-year-olds was published in April.

It also appears that an RIA was not carried out at the time the first Code of Practice was introduced in 2003.

One nursery owner told Nursery World that he questioned whether the Code of Practice was in fact 'valid' and asked what the implications for local authorities and providers would be if this was proved to be the case.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included