§ Mr. MeacherTo 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 Oldham, West and Royton in each of the last seven years. [170912]
§ Margaret HodgeThe 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 Oldham 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 5 years of age in England—January: 2003' which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
From 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 places1,2 taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers—Oldham 1997–2003 Position in January each year 3-year-olds 4-year-olds 1997 1,500 3,100 1998 1,500 3,100 1999 1,600 3,000 2000 2,300 3,100 2001 2,500 3,100 2002 2,500 3,100 2003 2,600 3,000 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 2í12 hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks.