HC Deb 17 March 1997 vol 292 cc383-4W
Mr. Robathan

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department is making for those personnel stationed overseas, in respect of the Government's nursery voucher scheme; and if he will make a statement. [20807]

Mr. Soames

My Department is committed to making sure there is no educational disadvantage to families who would otherwise be entitled to receive vouchers if serving in the UK, so it intends to provide, wherever practicable, nursery education for four-year-olds overseas.

The MOD will endeavour to provide the same standard of nursery education as that on offer in the UK, but there will be a difference in the way it is run. In the UK, where there will be open competition between playgroups and schools, parents will potentially have a wide choice of places to use a voucher: overseas, the Service sponsor both schools and playgroups and the choice will inevitably be limited.

Therefore, rather than adopt the voucher system, the MOD intends to provide direct funding to schools and playgroups and nursery education will be free at source for all four-year olds who attend an accredited provider.

It is expected that there will be some locations with both schools and playgroups, some where there are only schools and some where there are only suitable playgroups. To reach the standards required by the Department for Education and Employment scheme, schools and playgroups overseas will need additional staff and training and pass inspection of an accredited authority.

Because the MOD needs to study the various option available to deliver nursery education and obtain funding, it has been necessary to delay introduction overseas from that anticipated in the UK. It is aimed to phase introduction from September 1997 to September 1998.

There will inevitably be some areas overseas, particularly smaller isolated detachments, where it will not be possible to offer the scheme that will be available in countries such as Germany and Cyprus. The MOD is though looking at ways to provide the best possible provisions wherever practicable and within the resources available—some form of voucher system to cover these locations may be considered. However, in some areas it may simply be impossible to provide any facility; parents will be warned of this in advance of being posted to such locations.