HC Deb 08 May 1996 vol 277 cc148-9W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to allow nursery vouchers to be redeemed in respect of provision during school holidays. [28084]

Mr. Robin Squire

The voucher will cover a minimum of 36 weeks spread over three terms. In maintained schools it will cover the full school term. Where providers in the private and voluntary sectors do not operate termly, it is intended that from September 1996 the voucher should cover broadly equivalent termly periods. Beyond the minimum of 36 weeks, providers can offer additional service, but parents will be expected to meet the cost.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many applications for nursery vouchers she has received from providers on behalf of parents of four-year-olds in the pilot authorities, who had not applied for a voucher before term began. [28085]

Mr. Squire

Seven such applications have been received.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 22 April,Official Report, column 48, how many places are available for voucher-bearing four-year-olds in (a) the private and voluntary sector providers and (b) the maintained sector providers that have been initially validated. [28087]

Mr. Squire

All maintained schools in the phase one local education authorities have been initially validated. The estimated number of places available for four-year-olds in the maintained sector as at January 1995 is given in the following table. The number of places in the private and voluntary sectors taken up by voucher-bearing four-year-olds will be available once the voucher returns have been analysed.

LEA Estimated number of four-year-olds in maintained provision at January 1995
Kensington and Chelsea 800
Wandsworth 2,600
Westminster 1,100
Norfolk 6,300

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 22 April,Official Report column 48, how many of the 40 providers that have been initially validated, but did not have any four-year-olds on the roll at the time of registration are in (i) the maintained sector, (ii) the voluntary sector and (iii) the private sector; and how many places for voucher-bearing four-year-olds are being offered by each category. [28133]

Mr. Squire

The 40 providers referred to in the earlier answer are all from the private and voluntary sectors. It is not possible to differentiate between private and voluntary sector providers. Information on the number of places provided will be available once vouchers returned from providers have been analysed.