§ Ms ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. [35548]
§ Mr. HagueMost central Government funding of local authority functions is through revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates. This funding is not hypothecated to particular services. It is for each local authority to decide, in line with its statutory duties and local needs and priorities, how much it provides for these services. In 1993–94, the latest year for which information is available, local authorities spend(a) £2.3 million on day nurseries and playgroups and (b) £3.4 million on child minding, day fostering, family and other day care centres for children. At 31 March 1994, local authorities provided, or bought in from the independent sector, 388 places in day nurseries, 1,126 places in playgroups, 258 places with child minders and 284 places in holiday schemes for children aged five to seven. It is not possible to distinguish between full-time and part-time places.
The Welsh Office has made available £150,000 in 1995–96 to the training and enterprise councils to develop demonstration projects in child care for children below school age and £954,000 under the out-of-school child care grant initiative. Grants in support of child and family services and for the promotion of the Welsh language in 1995–96, together amounting to some £1,190,000, have been awarded to voluntary organisations whose members provide day-care services for young children.