HC Deb 17 October 1996 vol 282 cc1125-6W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 16 July,Official Report, column 466, what is the total cash value of vouchers issued to parents but not redeemed, in each of the four pilot authorities; and if the cash value of the unredeemed vouchers will be retained by the Exchequer. [40575]

Mr. Robin Squire

[holding answer 16 October 1996]: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what will be the cost of the publicity measures relating to the national implementation of the voucher scheme, as announced by her Department on 24 July, identifying separately the costs under the headings(a) poster campaigns, (b) leaflets and other publications, (c) television and radio advertising, (d) newspaper and journal advertisements, (e) specialist mailing, (f) seminars and (g) other. [40541]

Mr. Squire

The estimated budget for publicity about the nursery voucher scheme up to its initial implementation is £1,900,000. This will provide information for parents and providers of nursery education which will enable them to participate fully in this new scheme.

The figure is broken down in the table:

£
Posters, leaflets and other publication 475,000
TV and radio advertising 850,000
Newspaper and journal advertisements 50,000
Specialist mailings 100,000
Seminars and exhibitions 40,000
Other 385,000

Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the annual cost of administering the nursery voucher scheme. [41028]

Mr. Squire

The cost of administering the nursery education voucher scheme will be around £15 million over three years, that is an annual cost of around £5 million—a cost of less than £10 per child.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many four-year-olds were eligible to receive a voucher during the first term of phase one of the voucher scheme in(a) Kensington and Chelsea, (b) Westminster, (c) Wandsworth and (d) Norfolk; and of these, how many, expressed as a number and as a percentage of the above, redeemed a voucher in that term. [40577]

Mr. Squire

I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library.

Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many extra nursery places the nursery voucher scheme has created in(a) the public sector and (b) the private sector. [41029]

Mr. Squire

I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library.