HC Deb 18 July 1995 vol 263 cc1192-4W
Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that her plans are listed in her press statement to de-regulate standards in respect of child:adult ratios, premises and equipment are consistent with her policy of maintaining standards as found within the current requirements of the Children Act 1989 and other relevant Acts; [35559]

(2) which of the four bodies listed in her answer of 14 June, Official Report,column 520, as favouring introduction of a voucher scheme for pre-school education, advocated or had consented to her plans for de-regulation as described in her oral statement on 6 July, Official Report, columns 517–19; [35556]

(3) by what means she expects to publicise the de-regulated or lower standards of provision for nursery education and play group provision she announced in her oral statement of 6 July. [35558]

Mr. Robin Squire

My right hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for Health are jointly consulting on whether the existing Children Act guidance on child; adult ratios, premises and equipment remains appropriate for institutions registered to exchange vouchers for pre-school education.

In addition, my right hon. Friends and the Secretary of State for Wales announced on 14 July their intention to consult on a new set of school premises regulations. Those regulations apply to all maintained schools, including maintained nursery schools. They will continue to do so.

All essential health and safety requirements in the current Children Act guidance and school premises regulations will be retained.

None of the written responses to the consultation advocated deregulation, but most of them were received before deregulation became an issue for debate. A number of informal requests were made to deregulate existing requirements on child:adult ratios premises and equipment, planning, and publication of statutory proposals to establish nursery places at maintained schools.

My right hon Friend plans to publish a consultation document on quality assurance shortly.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment by what means the relevant proportion of voucher value is assigned to four-year-olds attending local authority infant schools to be deducted from the value of parental purchasing power arising from her proposed scheme for financial assistance for four-year-olds. [35557]

Mr. Squire

The parents or guardians of all four-year-olds will receive a voucher worth around £1,100 with which to purchase three terms of good-quality pre-school education before compulsory school age if they wish.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what consultations she initiated with the 74 bodies listed in her answer to the question of the hon. Member for the City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg), of 7 February,Official Report, columns 145–47, in respect of her plan announced on 6 July for pre-school provision. [35576]

Mr. Squire

The head of the official task force on under-fives wrote to the majority of the bodies listed on the day of the announcement, requesting their views.

Mr. Spearing

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral answer to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Howarth), of 6 July,Official Report, column 522, if the value of the proposed education vouchers will be subject to assessment of income support and family credit. [35605]

Mr. Squire

No.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral statement of 6 July,Official Report, columns 517–19, on pre-school education, what is the average (a) pupil: adult ratio and (b) pupil: qualified adult ratio in (i) reception classes in primary schools, (ii) nursery classes in primary schools, (iii) nursery schools classes and (iv) playgroups. [34110]

Mr. Squire

The available information is shown in the table.

Pupil: staff ratios in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in England
January 1994
Teaching staff1 All adult staff2
Nursery schools 19.4 8.8
Nursery classes 26.8 11.7
1 Includes all qualified teaching staff.
2 Includes all teaching staff and nursery assistants.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her oral statement of 6 July,Official Report, columns 517–19, what changes are planned in the training of primary and early years' teachers to take account of the expansion of pre-school provision for all four-year-olds. [35510]

Mr. Squire

My right hon. Friend has no plans to revise the criteria for primary ITT courses set out in DFE circular 14/93.

We are currently reviewing targets for intakes to initial teacher training for 1996–97 onwards, and the Teacher Training Agency will take account of the Government's plans for the education of under-fives in carrying out its responsibilities for initial and in-service teacher training.