Not finding affordable childcare can prevent some parents seeking work

The Work and Pensions Select Committee said that parents in poor families will not be able to move from welfare to work unless they are given more help with childcare.

The national average cost of childcare for a nursery place for one child is �128 per week, or �7,000 a year.

The government has targeted extra cash for special children's centres in the 20% of most deprived local authority wards.

Investing in childcare is an investment in all our futures Stephen Burke Daycare Trust

But, publishing a report on Tuesday, the MPs said it is "extremely concerned" that there are, "significant gaps" in poor areas outside the 20% worst off.

In Childcare for Working Parents, MPs were critical of childcare tax credits which are designed to help parents on low incomes pay for childcare.

Just 178,000 people are claiming the benefit and the report says too few people are eligible.

Cathy Ashton, the minister responsible for childcare, accepted that more had to be done to help parents.

"We now offer free early education to all four-year-olds, and all three-year-olds will have the same entitlement by April 2004.

"We also provide substantial financial help towards the costs of childcare through tax credits paid direct to parents, amounting to at least �1m per day.

"We will consider the report carefully to see what we can learn from it."

'Ambitious drive'

Stephen Burke, director of childcare charity the Daycare Trust, welcomed the MPs' report.

He said: "Universal children's centres are key to the government delivering on its ambitious drive to end child poverty and create a better, fairer Britain.