§ Mr. RichardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the measures taken by his Department to ensure that accurate information on the nursery voucher scheme is disseminated to schools and parents [13935]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansThe Welsh Office issued a question and answer guide to all head teachers in January 1996. Subsequently, the Department issued two detailed guides to the scheme to all potential providers of nursery education, including maintained schools, together with a registration pack for all participants and information leaflets for parents. Parents have been sent notice of the eligibility of their children for vouchers and other details by the nursery voucher centre followed by application forms for vouchers. All parents who have written to the Department about the scheme have been sent an individual response giving accurate information. The nursery voucher centre operates a bilingual helpline for parents and all potential providers.
Local education authorities have been sent copies of all information issued to parents and schools and have been consulted in the detailed development of the scheme. Some authorities and teachers attended the seven information seminars arranged by the Welsh Office for the private and voluntary sectors, which were attended by almost 800 people.
§ Mr. RichardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many head teachers from Denbighshire took up the offer by his Department to be briefed on the nursery voucher scheme; [14058]
(2) how many head teachers from Conwy have been briefed by his Department on the nursery voucher scheme; [13943]
(3) if he will make a statement on the progress made by (a) Conwy local education authority and (b) Denbighshire local education authority in implementing the nursery voucher scheme. [13947]
§ Mr. EvansThe Welsh Office ran a series of information seminars for the private and voluntary sectors at the end of 1996 and offered to arrange joint Welsh Office—local education authority seminars for the maintained sector. LEAs preferred to make their own arrangements, although a number of LEA and school representatives attended the Welsh Office seminars. Welsh Office officials met members of the Denbighshire Federation of Headteachers in July 1996. Both authorities have made block applications for their schools to participate in the voucher scheme.