§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action she is taking to safeguard existing nursery education places for three and four-year-olds under her proposed national voucher scheme for all four-year-olds; and if she will make a statement. [40298]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe parents of every four-year-old will receive a nursery education voucher which they can redeem for three terms of good quality nursery education in the state, private or voluntary sector. In exercising the choice which the voucher scheme provides, parents are likely to continue to make use of places which meet the needs of them and their children.
The voucher scheme should not affect existing places for three-year-olds. The proposed funding mechanism will allow local authorities to continue to spend on such places as they judge appropriate.