§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage of four-year-olds in nursery education in each LEA area in Wales. [1998]
§ Mr. HainThe information requested is shown in the following table. Pupils may attend other schools outside the LEA area in which they reside, and there are inconsistencies between the dates on which pupil and population numbers are assessed. These affect all LEAs and have resulted in percentages exceeding 100 in two cases.
489W
LEA area Percentage of 4 year olds in schools1 Blaenau Gwent 95.3 Bridgend 87.5 Caerphilly 87.1 Cardiff 82.2 Carmarthenshire 99.0 Ceredigion 87.7 Conwy 88.3 Denbighshire 94.2 Flintshire 96.2 Gwynedd 72.9 Isle of Anglesey 78.6 Merthyr Tydfil 99.0 Monmouthshire 79.2 Neath Port Talbot 96.0 Newport 93.5 Pembrokeshire 95.2 Powys 103.9
LEA area Percentage of 4 year olds in schools1 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 90.7 Swansea 99.5 The Vale of Glamorgan 92.0 Torfaen 97.5 Wrexham 102.5 Wales 91.5 1The number of pupils aged four at 31 December 1995 on roll at maintained nursery, primary and special schools and at independent schools at Janaury 1996 as a percentage of the estimated resident population of four-year-olds at mid-1995. Source:
January 1996 Schools' Census and Registrar General's population estimates.
§ Mr. JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he plans to increase the number of three and four-year-olds in nursery education. [1999]
§ Mr. HainOur initial aim is to ensure a free, at least part-time, place for every four-year-old whose parents want one; with targets for extending provision to three-year-olds. We shall be consulting shortly with the local authority, voluntary and private sectors and other interested bodies in Wales about arrangements for early years education from April 1998.