HC Deb 22 January 1997 vol 288 cc632-3W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average pupil-teacher ratio in reception classes in the phase 1 areas of the nursery voucher scheme. [11563]

Mr. Robin Squire

Information about pupils and teachers in reception classes it not collected centrally.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list the providers that have withdrawn from the nursery voucher scheme, indicating in each case(a) the reason for their withdrawal and (b) if they are in the public, voluntary or private sector; [11570]

(2) if she will list the providers that were initially validated in the nursery voucher scheme, but have subsequently closed, stating in each case (a) the reason given for their closure and (b) whether they are in the public, voluntary or private sector. [11571]

Mr. Robin Squire

The number of providers in the nursery education voucher scheme will fluctuate for a variety of reasons. Of the 1,142 providers who joined phase 1 of the scheme, 40—3 per cent.—have subsequently withdrawn; a list has been placed in the Library. Twenty of these did not redeem any vouchers in either the summer or autumn terms. I understand that nine providers have closed and given as their reason for closure that too few parents chose to redeem their vouchers there. The providers who have withdrawn exchanged 446 voucher parts in respect of 122 children—less than 0.2 per cent. of the total.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when data on term 2 of the pilot phase of the nursery voucher scheme will be available. [11568]

Mr. Squire

Detailed information on the operation of phase 1 of the nursery education voucher scheme in the first half of the autumn term has been sent to the House of Commons Education and Employment Select Committee and placed in the Library. Information about the issue and redemption of vouchers in the second half of the autumn terms will be available shortly.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many hours of provision per(a) week and (b) day voucher-bearing children receive on average in each of phase 1 areas and overall. [11569]

Mr. Squire

Information is not available in this form.

Tables 6.5 and 6.7 of the Department's report on phase 1 of the nursery voucher scheme show the numbers of sessions attended by voucher redeeming children in summer term 1996. An analysis of data for the first half of the autumn term 1996 has been placed in the Library: Table 5 gives similar information for the autumn term 1996, and shows an increase in the average number of sessions attended from 4.71 in the summer term to 4.92 in the autumn term.

Providers in the voucher scheme must provide a session of around 2.5 hours for each voucher part, but are free to offer more if they wish. Provision in nursery schools and classes is predominantly part time (half day) and in reception classes full time (full day).

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of providers in(a) the private sector and (b) the voluntary sector, participating in phase 1 of the voucher scheme, carried out the self-assessment schedule. [11572]

Mr. Squire

The purpose of the self-assessment schedule was to help potential providers establish whether they could meet the conditions for joining the nursery education voucher scheme and to help them review their current practices. All phase 1 providers were encouraged to complete a self-assessment schedule.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment further to her Department's report on phase 1, November 1996, what further analysis(a) has been carried out and (b) is planned, of those parents of eligible children who (i) failed to claim a voucher, (ii) failed to redeem a voucher and (iii) redeemed only part of a voucher. [11573]

Mr. Squire

A survey of parents in the phase 1 areas to establish participation in pre-school education included questions to explore why not all eligible parents claimed vouchers for summer term 1996; or when they did claim vouchers, why they did not use some or all of them. The survey results are being analysed.

Geographical patterns of redemption and non-redemption of vouchers in the autumn and spring terms 1996–97 will also be examined.