Nursery Schools (Rochdale) (Hansard, 18 December 1995)

§ Mr. Jim Callaghan (Heywood and Middleton)

I beg to ask leave to present a petition which reads:

To the House of Commons. The Petition of the residents of Rochdale Borough and other places

Declares that the Government's proposals for funding the education of under five year olds by a system of vouchers exchangeable for a sum payable to an institution would have a negative effect on the provision of education for the five year olds in the Rochdale Borough and would put at risk the existing eight nursery schools. The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education to reconsider the proposals for funding nursery education via the system of vouchers with a view to establishing a fairer and more efficient way of providing children under five with the best possible education in their early years. And the Petitioners remain. There were 2,550 petitioners, and the petition was signed by Colin Lambert and others.