§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many nursery schools have closed in each of the last three financial years in each local education authority; and how many closures of nursery schools are currently being proposed by local education authorities. [119491]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 17 April 2000]: The maintained nursery schools that have closed in the financial years 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000 are listed in the tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library. There are no proposals for nursery school closure currently under consideration as far as the Department is aware. All the nursery school closures were linked to the establishment of alternative nursery units at other schools except one where the nursery school was closed as there were surplus nursery places in the area.
The nursery schools that have closed over the three years represent 4.6 per cent. of the total number of nursery schools in England. Since 1997, four new nursery schools have been established. An extra 8,297 four-year-old places have been created since 1997.