HC Deb 08 January 2002 vol 377 cc710-1W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the new regulations affecting pre-school playgroups and nurseries introduced since 1997. [21954]

Margaret Hodge

Regulations have been introduced as followsRegulations to implement the programme of three and four-year-old nursery education funding:

  • Nursery Education (England) Regulations 1998—Revoked
  • Nursery Education (England) (Amendment) Regulations 1999—Revoked
  • Nursery Education (England) (Amendment) (No2) Regulations 1999—Revoked
  • Nursery Education (England) Regulations 20001
  • Regulations giving power to pay £24 million training grant:
  • The Education (Nursery Education Training Grant) (England) Regulations 2001
  • Regulations forming part of the new national system of regulating day care for under-8s, operated by Ofsted:
  • Child Minding and Day Care (Disqualification) (England) Regulations 20011
  • Child Minding and Day Care (Applications for Registration) (England) Regulations 20011
  • Child Minding and Day Care (Certificates of Registration) (England) Regulations 20011
  • Child Minding and Day Care (Registration and Annual Fees) Regulations 20011
  • Child Minding and Day Care (National Standards) (England) Regulations 2001
  • Day Care and Childminding (Inspections) (Prescribed Matters) (England) Regulations 2001
  • Child Minding and Day Care (Functions of Local Authorities: Information, Advice and Training) (England) Regulations 2001
    • 711W
  • Regulations giving the Secretary of State power to accredit over-7s settings to enable parents to claim the child care element of working families tax credit:
Tax Credit Act (New Category of Childcare Provider) Regulations 1999.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pre-school nurseries and playgroups are registered with Ofsted in(a) Surrey and (b) England and Wales. [23408]

Mr. Timms

The information is not available in the form requested. The Department collects information on day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools defined in terms of the full day or sessional care that they provide. It does not collect information on pre-schools separately from playgroups. The available information is shown in the following table.

Number of day nurseries and playgroups and pre-schools: England and Surrey local authority area: position at 31 March 2001
Day nurseries Playgroups and pre-schools
England1 7,800 14,000
Surrey LA area2 170 370
1 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
2 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Local authorities provided the data. Ofsted did not assume responsibility for registration and inspection of children's day care facilities until September 2001.

Figures for 2001 for England and Government Office regions were published in Statistical Bulletin 08/01 "Children's Day Care Facilities as at 31 March 2001", which is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/ and from the Library.

For information for Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the Education Department of the Assembly for Wales.