§ Mr. Neil TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will make a statement on the number of children in Wigan who have benefited from the National Childcare Strategy; [169281]
(2) how many child care places have been created in Wigan since 1997. [169363]
§ Margaret HodgeFrom April 1999 to December 2003 Wigan local authority created 5,072 new child care places helping some 9,169 children. This shows an increase in the stock of child care places, taking into account turnover, of 2,853 helping some 5,245 children.