Nursery Vouchers (Hansard, 13 February 1997)

§ Mr. Maclennan
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he proposes to introduce to ensure the take-up of nursery vouchers in remote areas with small numbers of pre-school children. [15500]

§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
Information so far is that take-up of pre-school vouchers in the four pilot areas has been extremely high—over 97 per cent. overall, and higher in the remoter Argyll and Bute and Highland pilot areas. About 93 per cent. of parents with vouchers are also using them. In the pilots, playgroups have often been key providers in rural areas, and we are taking action, specially through activity by national development officers and support to the Scottish Pre-School Play Association, to help rural playgroups meet the stringent quality standards which we require before they may redeem vouchers.

§ Mr. Maclennan
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the Stirling university study of pilot nursery voucher schemes about the(a) take-up of vouchers and (b) availability of nursery places within the scheme in remote areas with small numbers of pre-school children. [15501]

§ Mr. Robertson
The four pre-school voucher pilot schemes are proving highly successful: over 97 per cent. of parents there have taken up vouchers, and despite a low level of provision before the pilots began, 93 per cent. of these have been able to use them. The formal independent evaluation of the pilots commissioned from Stirling university has, in accordance with my commitments to the House last year, given priority to operational matters. I welcome the December interim report of the evaluation. Although results are as yet provisional, this shows a very positive response from parents, and has enabled us to make some significant improvements to procedures before national implementation. Though the pilots cover a range of rural areas, including Caithness, Badenoch and Strathspey, parts of Argyll and Bute and Arran, the researchers have not yet addressed issues relating to rural provision. They are expected to do so before submitting their final report in August 1997.