§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will break down the £5 million estimate of administration costs for the nursery scheme; on what experience the estimates were made; and how the notice for tender was publicised. [4490]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe estimated cost of inspection and administration in phase 1 of the nursery voucher scheme is based on: training inspectors for phase 1; inspections of that phase; training of inspectors in preparation for full implementation in phase 2; and the contract to administer the scheme in phase 1, which was awarded after competitive tender.
Advertisements inviting contractors to express an interest in tendering for the voucher contract were placed in a number of national newspapers, the Times Educational Supplement, The Economist and "Government Opportunities".