§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number and proportion of children entering school who have previously attended a pre-school playgroup.
§ Mr. Dunn[pursuant to his oral reply, 21 May 1985, c. 853]: The figure of 33 per cent. quoted is an estimate of the places available at all playgroups in England, as a proportion of the total three and four-year-old population. Most children attend playgroups for fewer than the total number of sessions per week that are available. About 70 per cent. of playgroups are members of the Pre-school Playgroup Association, which estimates that, in 1984, 42 per cent. of all three and four-year-olds attended PPA playgroups.