§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many children were on holiday child care schemes in each year since 1979; and, of those, which were provided by local authorities and the voluntary sector, respectively;
(2) how many children were receiving out-of-school child care in each year since 1979; and, of those, which were provided by local authorities and voluntary agencies, respectively.
§ Mr. YeoThe inspection and registration of day care services for young children under the Children Act 1989, is a matter for the Department of Health. Information about the number of children under five provided with day care by local authorities and the numbers of local authority registered and exempt day care places is published in "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31 March …, England". The most recent publication is for 1991. A copy is available in the Library.
New information on the number of children on the register of local authority out of school clubs and the numbers of local authority, registered and exempt places in out-of-school clubs and on holiday play schemes will be issued during 1993.
The Department is currently funding an initiative to encourage the development of out-of-school care and I understand that work is well under way in the Department of Employment towards its new initiative to promote additional out-of-school schemes.