HC Deb 11 March 1996 vol 273 cc493-4W
Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the nursery voucher system. [18916]

Mr. Richards

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 January 1996,Official Report, column 838, and to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 26 January 1996, Official Report, columns 479–80.

Mr. Win Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost to local education authorities of administering the nursery voucher scheme; and if he will make it his policy to provide for these costs in the revenue settlement to local authorities in the event of the scheme being implemented in 1997. [19944]

Mr. Richards

The vouchers will be distributed and redeemed by a private contractor selected through normal tendering procedures to secure best value for money. The costs of the contractor will be funded from the new money that will be available. Additional administrative burdens for local authorities should be minimal. It is open to the Welsh Local Government Association to identify additional costs in the annual revenue settlement discussions with the Department.

Mr. Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which voucher schemes he examined before agreeing to introduce vouchers for pre-school provision for four-year-olds; and what conclusions he reached about their success in expanding provision and improving quality. [19942]

Mr. Richards

The Government consider that a voucher scheme is the most appropriate means of expanding nursery provision, while offering parents a greater choice in the sort of provision they want for their child, stimulating greater diversity of provision to enhance that choice, and raising standards generally. The scheme is being developed and tailored specifically to achieve those objectives. It is not meaningful to seek to make comparisons with other voucher schemes.

1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–952
Aberystwyth 4,013 4,502 5,070 5,767 6,629
Bangor 3,819 4,291 5,015 5,509 6,163
Cardiff 10,069 11,065 12,134 13,110 15,155
St. Davids 1,012 1,150 1,332 1,472 1,592