§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on recent developments in respect of the provision of nursery education for four-year-olds in Wales. [11057]
§ Mr. RichardsSubject to parliamentary approval of the relevant provisions of the Nursery Eduction and Grant-maintained Schools Bill, the nursery voucher scheme in Wales will come into effect from April 1997. I announced on 9 January our decisions on funding, payments for redeemed vouchers and the arrangements for inspecting participating establishments. Welsh Office officials have written to all local education authorities, primary and nursery schools and interested organisations detailing these decisions and clarifying some common misunderstandings about the scheme. I am placing a copy of this letter in the Library.