§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spends on child care provision for the under-fives and out-of-school provision for children aged over five either directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, or indirectly through resources made available to local authorities or other organisations; what form of provision is thereby provided; how many places are thereby provided; and if he will make a statement on child care.
§ Mr. Robin SquireIn 1993–94, my Department has made grants totalling £1,004,000 to national organisations —including the Pre-School Playgroups Association, the British Association for Early Childhood Education and the National Children's Bureau—concerned with promoting good practice in educational provision for the under-fives. This Department does not currently fund out-of-school provision for children aged over five. Information on local education authority expenditure on under-fives is not held centrally. In 1992–93, local education authorities in England spent some £6,954 million on provision for all pupils in maintained nursery and primary schools. In 1993, 656,000 children aged under five attended maintained nursery and primary schools, and nearly 700,000 attended pre-school playgroups. Other forms of provision for children under five are matters primarily for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.