HC Deb 27 March 1986 vol 94 c583W
Mr. Barry Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many children under the age of five years there are in Wales; and how many nursery places there are.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

According to the latest estimates made by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, there were 177,900 children aged under five in 1984. A total of 20,515 places were available at day nurseries and playgroups in 1984 and 21,264 in 1985. Information is not available on the number of nursery places in schools: but in January 1984 the number of pupils aged under five in the previous August attending schools was 61,629, and in January 1985, 62,858.