§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his proposals for play groups in Wales. [27276]
§ Mr. Win GriffithsThe Welsh Office has set up a Childcare Strategy Working Group, with representatives from local education and social services authorities, the voluntary sector, TECs and other interests including the CBI Wales and Wales TUC, to devise effective schemes678W to promote new childcare initiatives in Wales within the overall framework of the National Childcare Strategy. The Group will be reporting shortly. The Strategy for Wales will take account of the arrangements being made to provide nursery education for pre-school age children, as outlined in the Welsh Office's "Guidance on Early Years Education", which is available in the Library of the House. It will also seek to build on all the diverse forms of quality provision, including playgroups, already available for this age group. Wales Pre-school Playgroups Association and Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, as the principal voluntary organisations in this field, continue to receive core grant support from the Welsh Office.