HC Deb 15 December 1992 vol 216 c186W
18. Mr. Clelland

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what priority he is giving to the provision of nursery education.

Mr. Forth

It is for local authorities to determine the scale and form of provision for the under-fives in collaboration with other providers. A total of 604,000 under-fives attended maintained nursery and primary schools in England in 1991, an increase of 175,000 over the figure for 1979.

23. Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of children were in nursery education in Lancashire in the last two years.

Mr. Forth

In 1990 and 1991 the age participation rate for the maintained sector was 48 per cent. The rates for nursery schools and classes specifically were 17 per cent. in 1990 and 18 per cent. in 1991.