§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the numbers of(a) children attending and (b) sites for (i) registered pre-school nurseries and (ii) playgroups in Tower Hamlets for each year since 1979.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyI have been asked to reply.
Information available centrally is shown in the table. Information is not collected centrally on the number of children attending these facilities. Annual information is published in "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31 March", copies of which are available in the Library. The publication for 1990 will be available in the autumn.
Day care places for children under 5 in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, rate per thousand population, 1981–89. Registered Day Nurseries Registered Playgroups Registered Childminders No. of places Rate No. of places Rate No. of places Rate 1981 169 17.4 365 37.6 350 36.1 11982 — — — — — — 11983 — — — — — — 11984 — — — — — — 1985 0 0.0 594 49.9 510 42.9 1986 0 0.0 715 57.2 460 36.8 1987 12 0.9 634 48.8 320 24.6 1988 121 8.9 510 37.5 382 28.1 1989 121 8.8 489 35.4 437 31.7 1 Return not submitted for these years.