§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how he proposes further to assist pre-school playgroups; and if he will make a statement; [57440]
(2) how many registered accredited playgroups there are by county; and if he will make a statement. [57441]
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Mr. Jon Owen JonesThe number of registered playgroups in each local authority area in Wales as at 31 March 1998 was:
Local authority area Number Blaenau Gwent 14 Bridgend 53 Caerphilly 45 Cardiff 141 Carmarthenshire 80 Ceredigion 48 Conwy 58 Denbighshire 51 Flintshire 63 Gwynedd 62 Isle of Anglesey 57 Merthyr Tydfil 14 Monmouthshire 38 Neath Port Talbot 19 Newport 46 Pembrokeshire 58 Powys 87 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 73 Swansea 37 The Vale of Glamorgan 59 Torfaen 44 Wrexham 76 Total 1,223 Voluntary playgroups do very valuable work with young children in the years leading up to compulsory school age. Our aim is that the playgroup movement should continue to play a key role in the education and care of this age group. We have made £50,000 available this year in Wales through the Wales Pre-school Playgroups Association and Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin to help ensure the survival of good playgroups under threat of closure. Funding is also available to the new partnerships planning early years education and childcare to develop childcare to complement early years education provision. We hope playgroups will take a full part in these new developments.
Funding decisions for next year are dependent on the outcome of the consultation on the Comprehensive Spending Review. Those decisions will be announced in due course.