11Duty to assess childcare provision
(1)An English local authority must prepare assessments of the sufficiency of the provision of childcare (whether or not by them) in their area (“childcare assessments”).
(2)The first childcare assessment must be prepared before the end of the period of one year beginning with the commencement of this section.
(3)Subsequent childcare assessments must be prepared at intervals not exceeding three years.
(4)The authority must keep a childcare assessment prepared by them under review until the childcare assessment is superseded by a further childcare assessment.
(5)Regulations may make provision requiring a childcare assessment—
(a)to deal with prescribed matters or be prepared according to prescribed criteria;
(b)to be in the prescribed form;
(c)to be published in the prescribed manner.
(6)In preparing a childcare assessment and keeping it under review, an English local authority must—
(a)consult such persons, or persons of such a description, as may be prescribed, and
(b)have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.
(7)Subsection (5) of section 6 applies for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of that section.