Parents in some parts of the country face "childcare deserts" with up to three youngsters fighting for every place, Labour has warned.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson accused Jeremy Hunt of "pouring petrol on a fire that is already raging" with plans to offer more free hours without enough cash to prop up the struggling system.
The Chancellor used the Budget to announce a £5.2billion expansion of childcare provision, offering 30 hours of free childcare a week for working parents by September 2025.
