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Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

"This report rightly highlights how central a role early education now plays in the lives of young children, and the negative impact that a lack of access to quality early years provision can have on early learning and development, particularly for children from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

"It's clear then that to ensure that all children, regardless of background, get the best possible start in life, we need to have a functioning, sustainable early years and childcare sector. And yet, as this report notes, many nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across the country are at imminent risk of permanent closure as a result of both sustained government underfunding and the impact of Covid-19.

"If the government is truly committed to supporting children and families, it simply must ensure that the early years sector gets the financial support it needs to remain viable, both now and in the long term."