RORY BACKS PENRITH AND THE BORDER NURSERIES

Rory Stewart MP has written to the Minister Caroline Dinenage to express concern regarding the new funding rates for Early Years provision, which will see nurseries in Penrith and The Border potentially negatively impacted by new county-wide funding rates.

The new funding rates for 2017 will see an increase for most providers, with the exception of Maintained Nursery Schools, who may see a drop in income. As a result, Rory – who recently met with local nursery staff at the Muddy Boots nursery at Newton Rigg – has been lobbying the Minister for transitional arrangements to be put in place to alleviate any consequences, and in particular to request a review of the rate set for Cumbria which, as a county, is set to receive one of the lowest national rates.

Rory Stewart said: “From the indicative figures the Department for Education have provided, Cumbria is going to be one of the lowest-funded local authorities nationally. Not only do I want to raise the issue of the low rate for Cumbria, but also the disproportionate impact that the plans will have on Maintained Nursery Schools. Cumbria arguably deserves a much more generous rate because of all of the indices of sparsity and a lack of access to services, and I hope that the Minister will consider our representations carefully.”

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