§ Dr. MarekTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of workplaces for civil servants in his Department; what proportion of the total number have an on-site nursery facility; how many and what proportion of workplaces provide a holiday play scheme; how many and what proportion of workplaces provide after-school child care facilities; what charges are made for use of any facility; what the net cost has been for the provision of these facilities; and what estimate he can make of any future expenditure.
§ Mr. DorrellThe Department has 46 work places. The majority of staff are based in London at the Elephant and Castle and in Westminster. A holiday play scheme which has been run at the Elephant and Castle since 1989 is now part of a wider Westminster holiday play scheme. No after-school care facilities and, at present, no on-site nursery facilities are provided. The Department has arranged seven places at a private day nursery in the Elephant and Castle area. Plans for further child care provision include a 25-place nursery as part of redevelopment at the Elephant and Castle, and a 30-place nursery at Quarry house, Leeds.
The Department subsidises the costs of both holiday play scheme and nursery places. Current costs to parents are: play scheme: £10 annual registration fee and a daily charge of £5; nursery places: £50 per week. The subsidy for the play scheme in 1989 was approximately £4,200 in 1990, £4,600 and in 1991 it is estimated at £5,200. The departmental contribution to nursery places for 1991 is estimated at £24,000. The Department has a provisional child care budget for 1991–92 of £82,000.