§ 92. Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to bring public education services for the under-fives into line with other European countries such as Denmark, Holland, France, Spain and Sweden.
§ Mrs. RumboldEuropean countries vary in the nature and extent of their provision for the under-fives. The Government do not see conformity as a desirable end in itself; our intention is rather to build on the strengths of our existing services, including the important contribution made by the voluntary sector.
§ Ms. ArmstrongTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his latest figures for each local education authority for expenditure on the education of under-fives.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe information requested is not collected centrally. Local authority expenditure returns to the Department of the Environment do not identify separate figures for the education of under-fives. Expenditure is returned for all pupils in the nursery and primary sector taken together.