§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage of (a) three-year-olds (b) four-year-olds and (c) all eligible age groups receiving nursery education in each regional and island authority and in Scotland overall in the latest available year.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherThere is no statutory definition of "eligible age groups". The following table shows the percentage of three-year-olds and four-year-olds, and of these two groups combined, who were attending education authority nursery schools at September 1980. Very few children outwith these ages were receiving nursery education.
Authority Percentage of 3-year-olds Percentage of 4-year-olds Percentage of 3 and 4-year olds Borders 9 18 14 Central 16 34 25 Dumfries and Galloway 3 13 8 Fife 21 54 38 Grampian 13 24 19 Highland 4 14 9 Lothian 34 47 40 Orkney 12 26 19 Shetland 10 17 13 Strathclyde 19 30 25 Tayside 17 27 22 Western Isles 15 21 18 Scotland 19 32 26
§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the amount spent on nursery education per child receiving nursery education in each regional and island authority and in Scotland overall in the last available year;
(2) what is the amount spent on nursery education per child in the age group eligible for nursery education in each regional and island authority and in Scotland overall in the latest available year.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.