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Leading early years membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has slammed the government for failing to publish a list of relevant job roles a full day after announcing that schools and childcare providers across England would be closed to all but the children of 'key workers', alongside vulnerable children, on Friday in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking on BBC Question Time on Thursday 19 March, health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that "the list will be published tomorrow".

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

"We know that these are incredibly challenging times - but nurseries, pre-schools and childminders across the country are already being asked to make huge changes to their businesses at incredibly short notice. To delay confirming who exactly will be able to access childcare as of Monday will make an already difficult task near-impossible.

"аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± need to know how many children may be accessing places at their settings to be able to make any kind of plan to continuing delivering childcare next week. This means not only a clear, official definition of 'key workers' but also confirmation on whether both parents need to meet this definition or just one.

"The government has long warned that school and childcare closures could form part of their coronavirus action plans, so we are baffled as to why it is not better prepared for this situation.

"There can be no more delays. Government must publish this information as a matter of urgency to give childcare providers a fighting chance to prepare for the monumental changes they will face in just a few days' time."