HC Deb 09 March 1999 vol 327 c141W
Mrs. Laing

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) free nursery school places, (b) hours of free nursery schooling per child and (c) children in the nursery school age group, there are in each local authority area. [74530]

Mrs. Liddell

Information on the number of free nursery school places available in each local authority area is not held centrally. Government grant funding covers up to 4121/2 hours of pre-school education for each eligible child over the school year. The Government's pledge to provide a free, quality, part-time education place for every child in their pre-school year, whose parents want one, has been met in Scotland: I announced this on 4 March. The estimated number of pre-school children in each local authority area eligible for pre-school education grant in the school year 1998–99 is in the table.

Local authority Estimate of preschool year children1
Aberdeen City 2,433
Aberdeenshire 2,717
Angus 1,021
Argyll and Bute 1,296
Clackmannanshire 643
Dumfries & Galloway 1,708
Dundee City 1,637
East Ayrshire 1,487
East Dunbartonshire 1,380
East Lothian 1,245
East Renfrewshire 1,089
City of Edinburgh 5,039
Eilean Siar 290
Falkirk 1,758
Fife 4,129
City of Glasgow 5,863
Highland 2,506
Inverclyde 1,055
Midlothian 998
Moray 1,057
North Ayrshire 1,649
North Lanarkshire 4,168
Orkney Islands 232
Perth and Kinross 1,452
Renfrewshire 2,152
Scottish Borders 1,169
Shetland Islands 293
South Ayrshire 1,197
South Lanarkshire 3,711
Stirling 926
West Dunbartonshire 1,252
West Lothian 2,059
Scotland 59,611
1 The estimated number of children in each local authority is based on information provided by GRO, incorporating information provided by authorities where appropriate.

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.