Figures from the charity's 2006 survey of childcare costs, published earlier this week, found that average fees in the north-west had gone up by four times the rate of inflation, from 118 in 2004 to 130 in 2005.
Busy Bees director John Woodward said that the figures are useful in showing the rise in fees for parents across the country, but he said that there have been 'a few complexities in the sector' that could have had an impact on the figures.
Mr Woodward said, 'We have to look at the amount of tax credits that parents are entitled to. If you just take the headline figures but ignore the fact that parents could get up to 20 per cent through tax breaks, the net effect would be different.'
The survey found that nursery fees have stabilised in London and the south-east, with the cost of sending a child under two to nursery in inner London remaining at 197.
The largest increases were in Scotland with an 8 per cent rise and in Wales with a 7 per cent rise, compared with a 2 per cent rise in England.
With childminders, the typical rate for a full-time place for a child under two was 130 a week, and up to 163 a week in inner London.
However, one childminder in south-east London was found to charge 10 an hour, nearly four times the minimum amount charged by childminders in some parts of the country.
Chief executive of the National Childminding Association Liz Bayram said, 'We know from our own membership survey in 2003/04 that childminders charge on average anything from 2.84 per hour to 5.83 per hour.'
She added, 'The survey gives one perspective on childcare costs, but we know these costs are affected by so many factors and that national comparisons, even regional comparisons, do not show the complete picture.'
Typical weekly childcare costs for full-time nursery and childminding places Nursery Nursery Childminder
(under 2) (2 and over) (2 and over)* % change % change % change
2005 on 2004 2005 on 2004 2005 on 2004
Inner London 197 0 178 +1.7 163 +11.6
Outer London 174 +2.4 152 +3.4 146 - 2.7
South-east 165 +1.9 153 - 1.3 160 +3.9
South-west 143 +1.4 132 0 136 +3.0
East of England 144 - 2.7 136 +1.5 139 +6.1
West Midlands 121 +6.1 118 +5.4 104 - 1.9
East Midlands 120 +1.7 118 +1.7 122 +2.5
Yorkshire & Humberside 127 +2.4 122 +5.2 117 +2.6
North-west 130 +10.2 123 +7.9 103 +6.2
North-east 123 +3.4 115 +0.9 111 - 2.6
England average 144 +2.1 134 +1.5 129 +2.4
Scotland 132 +8.2 122 +4.3 131 +5.6
Wales 128 +6.7 122 +6.1 124 +4.2
GB average 142 +2.9 133 +3.1 130 +4
*Figures for Childminders (under 2) are almost identical to Childminders (2 and over) and are therefore not shown.
Complete figures for other categories can be found at www.daycaretrust.org.uk. Source: Daycare Trust
