HC Deb 19 February 1985 vol 73 c420W
40. Mr. Roger King

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the change in the number of under five-year-olds in education, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the year group, from 1979 to date.

Mr. Dunn

The number of pupils aged under five years in maintained nursery and primary schools in England has increased from 428,640 in January 1979 to 495,018 in 1984 — an increase of 66,378. The corresponding proportions of the under-five population are 37 per cent. and 42 per cent.