§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out(a) the number and value of bids which he received from the most recent round of sustainability funding for pre-schools, and the number and value of successful bids and (b) the criteria by which successful bids were chosen. [143775]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 21 December 2000]: The sustainability scheme, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in May, made available £250,000 for projects that would support voluntary pre-schools and playgroups, which are developing new approaches which enhance their longer-term sustainability. This scheme is in addition to the current scheme of small grants to pre-schools and playgroups facing financial difficulties, for which a further £500,000 has been made available this year.
Proposals for project funding were invited from Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships, working with local pre-schools and playgroups. Results were announced on 12 December.
A total of 109 proposals were received, from 83 Partnership areas, to the value of £1,730,751. Seventeen proposals were successful, to a value of £250,218.
We assessed all proposals carefully, taking into account a range of factors, including the number of pre-schools or playgroups likely to benefit from the scheme, involvement and commitment of other partners, exit strategies, and replicability. We also sought the views of representatives of the playgroup organisations.
Over the last three years we have made available a total of £1.75 million for grants to voluntary pre-schools and playgroups facing financial difficulties, to give them breathing space to consider their longer-term plans as funding benefits work through to individual groups. In the first two years of the scheme, grants were made to 1,500 pre-schools and playgroups.