§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the cost of providing nursery places for all three and four-year-olds whose parents want it.
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe cost would depend on the types of provision, the balance between full-time and part-time attendance and the numbers of parents who chose to take up a nursery place. Currently, some 53 per cent. of three and four-year-olds in England are in some form of full-time or part-time schooling. We estimate that the average annual recurrent unit cost for a full-time equivalent pupil aged under five in the maintained sector is £1,770 at 1993–94 prices. In addition, there would be capital and teacher training costs.