§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Offical Report (a) the number of children of nursery school age for each local education authority in the Northern region and for each English region for each year since 1974, (b) the number of children in nursery school education for the same areas and time period and (c) the percentages of (d) which the number of children in nursery school education represents.
§ Dr. BoysonThe information requested for January of each year is as follows:
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Pupils under five years of age in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools Local education authorities Estimated population aged 3 and 4 years (thousands) Numbers of pupils receiving a nursery education Pupils expressed as a percentage of the estimated population aged 3 and 4 years Northern Region Cleveland 1974 20.00 2,067 10.3 1975 19.25 3,255 16.9 1976 18.25 3,683 20.2 1977 17.05 4,759 27.9 1978 16.25 5,424 33.4 1979 15.50 6,213 40.1 1980 15.10 6,505 43.1 41W
Local education authorities Estimated population aged 3 and 4 years (thousands) Numbers of pupils receiving a nursery education Pupils expressed as a percentage of the estimated population aged 3 and 4 years Cumbria 1974 14.15 886 6.3 1975 13.50 1,313 9.7 1976 13.00 1,573 12.1 1977 12.40 1,824 14.7 1978 11.60 1,803 15.5 1979 10.90 1,853 17.0 1980 10.60 1,877 17.7 Durham 1974 18.40 2,090 11.4 1975 17.90 2,462 13.8 1976 17.20 2,825 16.4 1977 . 16.45 3,545 21.6 1978 15.45 4,140 26.8 1979 14.55 4,344 29.9 1980 14.20 4,282 30.2 Northumberland 1974 7.50 156 2.1 1975 7.50 327 4.4 1976 7.40 536 7.2 1977 7.25 679 9.4 1978 7.45 696 9.3 1979 7.15 860 12.0 1980 7.10 917 12.9 Gateshead 1974 6.95 476 6.8 1975 6.65 570 8.6 1976 6.25 700 11.2 1977 6.00 908 15.1 1978 5.55 979 17.6 1979 5.15 1,041 20.2 1980 5.00 1,165 23.3 Newcastle upon Tyne 1974 8.05 905 11.2 1975 7.75 1,182 15.3 1976 7.35 1,558 21.2 1977 7.00 1,691 24.2 1978 6.65 1,813 27.3 1979 6.25 1,988 31.8 1980 6.10 2,197 36.0 North Tyneside 1974 6.25 554 8.9 1975 5.95 711 11.9 1976 5.65 948 16.8 1977 5.20 1,309 25.2 1978 4.55 1,377 30.3 1979 4.30 1,615 37.6 1980 4.20 1,872 44.6 South Tyneside 1974 5.05 486 9.6 1975 4.80 532 11.1 1976 4.65 807 17.4 1977 4.20 1,095 26.1 1978 3.95 1,252 31.7 1979 3.65 1,383 37.9 1980 3.50 1,444 41.3 Sunderland 1974 9.90 768 7.8 1975 9.55 1,044 10.9 1976 9.15 1,179 12.9 1977 8.70 1,631 18.7 1978 8.35 1,916 22.9
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Local education authorities Estimated population aged 3 and 4 years (thousands) Numbers of pupils receiving a nursery education Pupils expressed as a percentage of the estimated population aged 3 and 4 years 1979 7.90 2,188 27.7 1980 7.70 2,324 30.2 Regions of England North 1974 96.25 8,388 8.7 1975 92.85 11,396 12.3 1976 88.90 13,809 15.5 1977 84.25 17,441 20.7 1978 79.80 19,400 24.3 1979 75.35 21,485 28.5 1980 73.50 22,583 30.7 Yorkshire and Humberside 1974 157.80 16,802 10.6 1975 152.35 19,927 13.1 1976 144.90 21,479 14.8 1977 135.75 26,530 19.5 1978 126.85 29,636 23.4 1979 119.55 31,073 26.0 1980 116.80 31,720 27.2 North West 1974 212.40 23,632 11.1 1975 204.30 25,339 12.4 1976 193.90 28,357 14.6 1977 181.00 32,883 18.2 1978 170.95 33,890 19.8 1979 160.95 34,530 21.5 1980 157.00 35,099 22.4 East Midlands 1974 119.65 10,795 9.0 1975 116.05 12,050 10.4 1976 112.35 13,709 12.2 1977 105.40 17,549 16.6 1978 99.75 19,782 19.8 1979 94.70 20,123 21.2 1980 92.80 19,823 21.4 West Midlands 1974 173.45 14,546 8.4 1975 167.00 16,196 9.7 1976 159.00 20,629 13.0 1977 147.50 24,931 16.9 1978 138.10 26,137 18.9 1979 130.00 27,285 21.0 1980 126.90 28,252 22.3 East Anglia 1974 53.45 3,509 6.6 1975 53.30 3,717 7.0 1976 52.35 4,386 8.4 1977 51.20 3,737 7.3 1978 49.00 3,774 7.7 1979 46.80 3,930 8.4 1980 46.10 3,934 8.5 South East 1974 502.80 42,150 8.4 1975 485.65 45,510 9.4 1976 466.40 50,452 10.8 1977 439.75 58,332 13.3 1978 415.25 63,306 15.2 1979 396.30 66,261 16.7 1980 385.30 68,169 17.7 South West 1974 121.05 3,617 3.0 1975 118.00 3,783 3.2 1976 114.80 4,729 4.1 1977 110.35 5,410 4.9 1978 104.65 5,412 5.2 1979 98.80 5,561 5.6 1980 96.90 5,871 6.1
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what are the assumptions on which the nursery education component of grant-related expenditure assessments for local authorities is based; and what is the relative emphasis given to the nursery education component in calculating grant-related expenditure assessments for local authorities compared to other factors which are involved in the calculations;
(2) if he is satisfied that the differences in the numbers of children in nursery school education between urban and rural areas is fully taken into account in calculating grant-related expenditure assessments for each local authority.
§ Dr. BoysonThe nursery education component of grant-related expenditure—GRE—assessments for 1981–82 was based on the population aged nought to four of each authority's area. GRE for nursery education constitutes on average about 1.4 per cent. of total education GRE. Officials of the Department of Education and Science have been conducting technical discussions with other Government Departments and with the local authority associations with a view to refining education—and other—GRE assessments for 1982–83 as appropriate. GRE for nursery education has been included in these discussions. My right hon. and learned Friend will in due course form a view with his colleagues on the basis of the various proposals put forward.