Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): As part of Budget 2020, we are restoring the 100 percent funding band for teacher-led early childhood education services that employ fully qualified and registered teachers. The funding band was scrapped by the previous Government in 2010. The new 100 percent funding rates will apply from 1 January 2021. This takes the Government's drive to improve the quality of early childhood education another step forward. Reinstating the 100 percent funding band is one of the top action points in the 10-year Early Learning Action Plan that the Government has released. 