§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of parents of four-year-olds in each of the pilot authorities (a) were expected to apply for vouchers and (b) applied for vouchers. [25599]
§ Mr. Robin SquireEstimates of population and pupil numbers are less reliable when broken down by local authority and by year group. The estimated number of children, the number of applications and the percentage of eligible children this represents are given in the table.
Local authority area Estimated number of four-year-olds Number of applications at 12 April 1996 Percentage of estimated four-year-olds Norfolk 9,300 8,517 92 Kensington and Chelsea 1,650 910 55 Wandsworth 3,300 2,786 84 Westminster 1,900 1,133 60
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places have been made available to four-year-olds in(a) the private, (b) the voluntary and (c) the maintained sectors following initial validation; and how many such places are new places. [25600]
§ Mr. SquireInformation on where parents have chosen to redeem nursery education vouchers will be available once vouchers returned from providers have been analysed.
The number of children attending maintained schools is given in the following table.
Local education authority Four-year-olds in maintained provision at January 1995 Kensington and Chelsea 800 Wandsworth 2,600 Westminster 1,100 Norfolk 6,300
§ Mr. MillsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local education authorities refused to take part in the trials on nursery vouchers. [26445]
§ Mr. SquireAll local education authorities were invited to volunteer to participate in phase 1 of the nursery education voucher scheme; Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth, Westminster and Norfolk decided to take part.