HC Deb 14 July 2003 vol 409 cc98-9W
Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of three year-olds have access to early years education in(a) the Bury St Edmunds constituency, (b) Suffolk, (c) Norfolk, (d) Essex and (e) Cambridgeshire. [120411]

Margaret Hodge

The information is not available in the form requested.

The available information is shown in the table.

Number of free early years education places taken up by three year olds January 2002
Local education authority area Number of free early years education places taken up by three year olds
Suffolk 4,200
Norfolk 4,800
Essex 8,700
Cambridgeshire 2,700

We have made the commitment that by April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three year olds whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place.

Latest figures on three year olds in early years education providers were published by the Department in the Statistical First Release "Provision for Children Under Five Years of Age in England: January 2003 (Provisional) (15/2003)" in May 2003, a copy of which is available from the Library. An electronic copy of this publication www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.