HC Deb 08 July 1987 vol 119 cc154-5W
Ms. Gordon

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he intends to take to extend pre-school education to ensure that a place is available for all three to five-year-olds whose parents require it.

Mr. Dunn

It is for local education authorities to determine the scale and nature of their educational provision for the under-fives in the light of their own priorities and assessment of local needs. The Government's plans for expenditure on education allow for provision attributable to under-fives to continue in real terms within broadly the same totals as today. Both participation rates and the actual numbers of under-fives in school are currently the highest ever.