§ Mr. Leightonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to encourage extra nursery provision in those inner city areas, such as the London borough of Newham, with an above average number of one-parent families.
§ Sir George YoungIndividual authorities are responsible for determining the balance of their expenditure within and between services, in the light of their own priorities and their judgment of local needs. The education component of each local authority's grant related expenditure assessment, which influences an authority's total block grant entitlement, includes an allowance for the additional costs of educating children with special needs arising from their social or economic backgrounds. Relevant factors include the number of children who were born, or live in households whose head was born outside the UK, Ireland, USA and Old Commonwealth; those in poor housing conditions; those in large or in one-parent families; those from low socio-economic groups; and those from families receiving supplementary benefit. These factors are taken into account at nursery, as well as primary and secondary level, reflecting the policy of the Government to concentrate nursery provision in areas of social need.
The Government also assist nursery provision in inner city areas through the urban programme. The total value of nursery projects approved under the UP for 1984–85 was £12.6 million.