HC Deb 04 December 1996 vol 286 c708W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what child care facilities his Department provides for its employees; what facilities were provided in 1992; and how many employees have used child care facilities in each year since 1992. [6462]

Sir John Wheeler

[holding answer 28 November]The Northern Ireland Office, London, has purchased four permanent full-time places at a nursery for its employees since 1992. Since that time all four places have been used. The Department of the Environment and the Child Support Agency offer subsidised places at registered nurseries and pre-school nursery schemes. The numbers using these facilities in the period 1993 to 1996 is as follows:

  • 1993: 6
  • 1994: 48
  • 1995: 65
  • 1996: 76

No subsidised places were offered in 1992.

Holiday play schemes cater for children of staff of the Northern Ireland departments and Northern Ireland Office, Belfast during school holidays. The number of play schemes operated during the period 1992 to 1996 is as follows:

  • 1992:4
  • 1993:5
  • 1994:8
  • 1995:8
  • 1996:8

Details of the number of staff using the play schemes are not held centrally, are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.