§ Ms ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spends on(a) child care provision for under-fives and (b) out-of-school provision for the over-fives both directly, excluding provision for departmental staff, and indirectly through resources made available to local authorities and other organisations; what form of provision is provided; and how many full-time and part-time places are provided. [35552]
§ Mr. MossThe Department of Health and Social Services directly assists the development of child care for pre-school and school age children by grant-aiding regional voluntary child care organisations in Northern Ireland working in this field. In the current financial year over £249,000 is being provided in this way.
The Department also administers the Early Years Development Fund, which supports day care initiatives for young children, particularly those under five. In 1994–95 the fund allocated over £381,000 to regional local projects.
In 1993–94, the latest year for which the information is available, health and social services boards in Northern Ireland spent £1.4 million on support for local day care projects, either through direct provision, or in support of voluntary and community facilities. In that year, hoards also spent £2.2 million on family day centres, but these do not cater exclusively for parents with young children.