Education (Warrington, South) (Hansard, 29 April 2004)

§ Helen Southworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) free nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) 3 and (ii) 4-year-olds in Warrington South in each of the last seven years. [168702]

§ Margaret Hodge
The information is not available in the form requested.
Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds in Warrington local education authority area are shown in the table.
The latest figures on provision for 3 and 4-year-olds in England were published in a Statistical Bulletin 'Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2003' which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgatewav/.
Since the beginning of April 2004 six months ahead of our original target, all 3-year-olds in England whose parents want one, are eligible for a free, part-time early education place.

Number of free nursery education places ^1,2 taken up by 3 and
4-year-old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and
private, voluntary and independent providers—Warrington local
education authority area

Position in January each year 3-year-olds 4-year-olds

1997 800 2,300

1998 800 2,500

1999 900 2,300

2000 1000 2,400

1262W

2001 2,000 2,400

2002 2,100 2,300

2003 2,100 2,300

¹Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children.

²A free nursery education place comprises five ½ hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks.

§ Helen Southworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on(a) computer equipment and (b) computer facilities for schools in Warrington South in each year since 1997. [168703]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
My Department does not collect information on school spend on computers at constituency level. However Warrington South is in Warrington LEA and since 1998–99 schools in Warrington have benefited from the following funding through the Standards Fund grant for ICT (including match funding from the LEA):

Allocation to Warrington LEA

£

1998–99 401,364

1999–2000 465,000

2000–01 854,534

2001–02 947,807

2002–03 1,369,561

2003–04 1,402,145

2004–05 1,732,009

Number of free nursery education places ^1,2 taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers—Warrington local education authority area
Position in January each year	3-year-olds	4-year-olds
1997	800	2,300
1998	800	2,500
1999	900	2,300
2000	1000	2,400

2001	2,000	2,400
2002	2,100	2,300
2003	2,100	2,300
¹Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children.
²A free nursery education place comprises five ½ hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks.

Allocation to Warrington LEA
£
1998–99	401,364
1999–2000	465,000
2000–01	854,534
2001–02	947,807
2002–03	1,369,561
2003–04	1,402,145
2004–05	1,732,009