§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to(a) review the operation of the nursery grants system and (b) replace yearly grants with termly grants; and if he will make a statement. [51632]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisSpecific nursery education grant is paid to local education authorities and early education providers in the private and voluntary sectors termly, allocated on the basis of a termly headcount of the number of eligible four year olds educated at each setting named in an Early Years Development Plan. Every child is eligible for specific grant for three terms before they reach compulsory school age, irrespective of the age at which they are admitted to school.
From 1999–2000 we will be extending the specific grant arrangements to cover three year olds. We will be making £390 million available over three years, almost doubling the number of free places currently available for three year olds.