Call for action on falling occupancy

Falling occupancy levels are threatening some private providers with extinction, prompting calls from the heads of two major nursery chains for the Government to ensure that spare capacity is used before new childcare places are created. Nord Anglia chief executive Andrew Fitzmaurice said it cost £15,000 to create a nursery place and added, 'If there is all this spare capacity why doesn't the Government just save that money and get local authorities to procure existing private and voluntary sector nursery places.'