Nursery Education (Hansard, 13 December 1994)

§ 24. Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she is taking to further the spread of pre-school education and playgroups.

§ 25. Sir Thomas Arnold
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement about her future plans for the expansion of nursery education.

§ 26. Ms Hodge
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans her Department has to expand nursery provision for children under the age of four.

§ Mr. Forth
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has established a task force to draw up proposals to implement my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's commitment to provide a pre-school place for all four-year-olds whose parents wish them to take it up. We are looking at a range of options to achieve the Prime Minister's target. As the expansion is achieved we want to ensure that it will add to the choice parents have among a range of provision—public, private and voluntary.

§ Mr. Jim Cunningham
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made in her policy in respect of universal nursery education.

§ Mr. Robin Squire
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education is looking at a range of options and is consulting widely with practitioners and existing providers of pre-school provision with a view to drawing up detailed proposals to fulfil my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's commitment to provide, over time, a pre-school place for all four-year-olds whose parents wish to take it up.