Pre-school Education

HC Deb 15 June 1993 vol 226 cc499-500W

20. Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he next intends to meet the Association of County Councils to discuss the provision of nursery education.

Mr. Robin Squire

My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet the Association of County Councils to discuss this matter.

29. Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve the quality of educational input in different forms of pre-school provision.

Mr. Robin Squire

The Department has increased its grant to the Pre-school Playgroups Association for staff training and development from £179,000 in 1990–91 to £887,000 in 1993–94. It also supports training and development work undertaken by the British Association for Early Childhood Education and by the Early Childhood Unit of the National Children's Bureau.

Ms Estelle Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pre-school education places were available in England at the latest available date; and what percentage that number is of the total number of children in the relevant age group.

Mr. Robin Squire

Information on the number of education places is not available. In January 1992 there were nearly 630,000 pupils below compulsory school age in maintained nursery and primary schools in England of whom 330,000 were in nursery provision. The under-fives participation rates were 49 per cent. and 26 per cent. respectively.