§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged three years obtained nursery places in the years(a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001. [7717]
§ Mr. TimmsThe following table shows the number of three-year-olds in early education places in England from 1997 to 2001 based on the position at January each year.
It is the Government's stated intention that every three-year-old in England, whose parents want one, will have a free nursery education place by September 2004.
Final figures information for 2001 will be published in the Statistical Bulletin "Provision for Children Under Five years of age in January 2001" at the end of November.