HC Deb 23 October 1990 vol 178 cc158-9W
36. Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on public funding of playgroups and nurseries for under-fives.

Mr. Eggar

Playgroups and other forms of sessional and day care are the responsibility at national level of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health. However, my Department makes an annual grant, currently £179,000, to the Pre-school Playgroups Association for activities contributing to the educational improvement of playgroups. In 1991–92 the Department will support under the grants for education support and training arrangements a total of £2.5 million of expenditure by local education authorities on improving the planning and co-ordination of provision for the under-fives; this includes work in educational settings and the educational component of playgroups.

39. Mr. Jim Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to increase the number of nursery education places for three and four-year-olds.

45. Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on local authority provision for the under-fives.

65. Mr. Henderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to increase the number of nursery education places for three and four-year-olds.

81. Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to increase the number of nursery education places for three and four-year-olds.

Mr. Eggar

The Government believe in a diversity of provision for the under-fives, and considers that local authorities are best placed to determine the extent and range of provision in their area. Over the last decade, the numbers of under-fives attending nursery or primary classes in England have increased by nearly 35 per cent. Provisional data for 1990 show that in the last year the numbers rose from 548,000 to 577,000 and the age participation rate from 45 per cent. to 47 per cent.