HC Deb 25 February 1971 vol 812 cc224-6W
Mr. Whitlock

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assistance towards the provision of nursery schools she is giving to each county council and county borough; and on what criteria this is determined.

Mr. van Straubenzee

Under the first three phases of the Urban Programme announced in January, 1969, 1970 and 1971, capital expenditure of £3.93 million has been approved for grant at 75 per cent. by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and his predecessor. This covers provision of 15,565 places in nursery schools and classes in England. The criteria used are essentially ones of social need. I am sending the hon. Member details.

The local education authorities in England and the number of places approved in the Urban Programmes are as follows:

L.E.A. Total places in nursery schools and classes approved in Urban Programme
Bedfordshire … … … 80
Buckinghamshire … … 40
Cheshire … … … 60
Cumberland … … 80
Derbyshire … … … 110
Durham … … … 200
Essex … … … … 60
Hertfordshire … … 20
Huntingdon and Peterborough 30
Kent … … … … 120
Lancashire … … … 655
Northumberland … … 180
Nottinghamshire … … 60
Shropshire (Salop) … … 150
Staffordshire … … 40
Warwickshire … … 80
Yorks N.R. … … 130
Yorks W.R. … … … 440
Birkenhead … … … 60
Birmingham … … … 1090
Blackburn … … … 200
Bolton … … … 60
Bootle … … … 60
Bradford … … … 270
Bristol … … … 120
Burnley … … … 80
Burton-upon-Trent … 60
Coventry … … … 100
Derby … … … 120
Dewsbury … … … 40
Doncaster … … … 60
Dudley … … … 180
Gateshead … … … 90
Hartlepool … … … 80
Huddersfield … … … 185
Ipswich … … … 45
Kingston upon Hull … … 60
Leeds … … … 320
Leicester … … … 510
Lincoln … … … 60
Liverpool … … … 740
Luton … … … 40
Manchester … … … 660
Newcastle upon Tyne … 430
Northampton … … 50
Nottingham … … … 390
Oldham … … … 60
Oxford … … … 30
Plymouth … … … 40
Portsmouth … … … 40
Rochdale … … … 60
Rotherham … … … 60
Salford … … … 361
Sheffield … … … 305
Southampton … … 120
South Shields … … 80
Stockport … … … 40
Stoke-on-Trent … … 64
Sunderland … … 150
Teesside … … … 305
Tynemouth … … … 60
Walsall … … … 610
Warley … … … 120
West Bromwich … … 40
Wigan … … … 25
L.E.A. Total places in nursery schools and classes approved in Urban Programme
Wolverhampton … … 240
Barnet … … … 120
Brent … … … … 210
Croydon … … … 80
Ealing … … … 240
Enfield … … … 60
Haringey … … … 370
Hounslow … … … 120
Newham … … … 320
Waltham Forest … … 180
I.L.E.A. … … … 2360

Mr. Whitlock

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans she has to increase the number of nursery school places and the standards in nursery schools in the next five years.

Mrs. Thatcher

For the present our first priority is the improvement of primary schools. Nursery education will continue to benefit from the urban programme.