§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of children receiving nursery education and the corresponding proportion of those children as a percentage of the total number of children of pre-school age for each county and for Wales as a whole in consequence of the introduction of the proposed nursery voucher scheme; and if he will make a statement. [16288]
§ Mr. RichardsThe voucher scheme is intended to enhance current levels of provision and stimulate greater choice for parents in the maintained, voluntary and private sectors. No estimate has been made of the actual number of four-year-olds who will take up places under the scheme—that will depend on parental choice and the availability of places; but numbers are expected to be no less than at present.