HC Deb 13 December 1990 vol 182 c484W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many, and what percentage of, pre-school children in Northern Ireland are enrolled in maintained, integrated and controlled nursery schools in Northern Ireland; and whether he proposes to fund an increase in nursery school provision.

Dr. Mawhinney

The information is as follows:

January 1990
Maintained pupils 1,091
Percentage1 2.0
Integrated pupils 0
Percentage1 0
Controlled pupils 3,762
Percentage1 6.9
Total pupils 4,853
Percentage1 8.9
1 The number of pupils as a percentage of the 3 and 4-year-old population.

Limited resources for school building have made it necessary to give priority to provision for children of compulsory school age. It has not therefore been possible to provide an expansion of nursery provision apart from some limited growth in north and west Belfast under the "Making Belfast Work" initiative. I can offer no immediate prospect of change.

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