18. Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will visit Normanton to discuss nursery vouchers with (a) parents, (b) governors and (c) teachers. [2088]
§ Mr. Robin SquireNo, but my right hon. Friend and her Ministers have discussed the benefits of the nursery education voucher scheme at a number of events up and down the country.
Mr. O'BrienThat reply is obviously disappointing because parents, governors and teachers at St. John's school, and at other schools in my constituency such as Wrenthorpe and Outwood, would like the opportunity to tell the Secretary of State that they want the Government to provide more nursery places rather than spend £3 million on publicity. Parents want nursery places rather than vouchers and publicity on the issue.
356 Parents would also like the opportunity to tell the Secretary of State that they support Wakefield local education authority's nursery provision for three-and-a-half-year-olds and that they want nursery facilities in the area to be extended. It is disappointing that we do not have the opportunity to tell the Secretary of State exactly what people require in the areas that I represent.
§ Mr. SquireThe hon. Gentleman must have misheard or not heard when I said a moment ago that another £165 million will be spent—next year alone—on pre-school education. He quotes a tiny fraction of that money, which is essential expenditure on publicity, as the totality of new spend. I say to the hon. Gentleman and to other hon. Members from areas where there is currently high provision that, if the present quality of provision by local authority schools is as good as they say it is, parents will undoubtedly continue to use those facilities. If the provision is not as good as that, parents should have the choice to look elsewhere.