Today sees the publication of the 2017 edition of the Nanny State Index, a league table of the best and worst places in the European Union to eat, drink, smoke and vape.
Decisions on childcare arrangements were largely a private matter until the 1990s. A political consensus has since arisen that government action is needed to raise the quality of provision, to make it more affordable and to support parental labour market attachment.
We are living in exciting times, with a whole series of beliefs and certainties being called deeply into question. With a never-ending crisis upon us, many economists admit they feel perplexed as they face a situation they have trouble explaining and remedies that are proving ineffective.