Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance'said the independent body was needed to ensure private and voluntarychildcare providers were given a fair opportunity to be involved in thedelivery of local services.
His comments come after the first reading of the Childcare Bill inParliament last week. The Bill places new statutory duties on localauthorities to ensure sufficient childcare, provide information toparents and improve children's outcomes, and "reinforces the need forlocal authorities to work actively with local voluntary and privatesector providers".
However, Alexander said the watchdog was needed to deal "much moreswiftly and effectively" with councils that were unwilling to engagewith private and voluntary partners and make them "trulyaccountable".
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