HC Deb 27 April 1987 vol 115 cc14-5W
Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish for each of the year since 1978 his estimate of the total number of places available nationally in nursery schools and nursery classes.

Mr. Dunn

Information on the number of places in nursery schools and nursery classes is not collected centrally. The number of full-time and part-time pupils in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in primary schools in England each year since 1978 was as follows:

January each year 1Number
1978 201,337
1979 210,248
1980 215,451
1981 221,590
1982 235,401
1983 247,825
1984 258,601
1985 266,936
1986 272,480
1The number of full-time and part-time pupils in nursery schools and nursery classes.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to arrange for staff in his department to be screened for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus.

Mrs. Rumbold

[pursuant to her reply, 30 March 1987, c. 344–45]: No.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether any current or former staff of his department have been found to have developed AIDS or antibodies to HIV.

Mrs. Rumbold

[pursuant to her reply, 30 March 1987, c. 344–45]: I would refer my hon Friend to the answer given by my hon Friend the Minister for Health on Wednesday 22 April.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he has taken to ensure that staff of his Department are warned about those homosexual and other activities which are deemed to involve a high risk of AIDS infection.

Mrs. Rumbold

[pursuant to her reply, 30 March 1987, c. 344–5]: In April 1986 the Management and Personnel Office, after consulting the chief medical officer, DHSS, circulated all Departments with guidance to managers and model notes for staff. This Department drew on those notes in producing advice to staff through the medium of an office notice. I understand that a copy of the central guidance is available in the Library.