§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what has been the cost of running nursery school provision in Belfast for each year since 1974;
(2) how many new nursery schools have been opened in Belfast by the Belfast education and library board since 1974;
(3) how many (a) nursery teachers, (b) nursery assistants and (c) ancillary staff for nursery schools are employed by the Belfast education and library board;
(4) how many children are attending nursery schools run by the Belfast education and library board;
(5) how many nursery schools are presently operating in the area covered by the Belfast education and library board.
§ Mr. ScottCurrent expenditure by the Belfast education and library board on nursery schools has been as follows:
72W
Financial Year £000s 1974–75 98 1975–76 140 1976–77 198 1977–78 267 1978–79 338 1979–80 384 1980–81 491 1981–82 552 1982–83 (estimate) 581 Seperate information on nursery provision in primary schools is not available.
There are 26 nursery schools in the board area, eight new nursery schools have been opened since 1974, including two replacement schools.
27 nursery teachers, 50 nursery assistants and 58 ancillary staff for nursery schools are employed by the board.
At 1 January 1983, 776 children—provisional figure—were enrolled in nursery schools run by the board.