§ Ms KellyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the annual cost of the National Child Care Strategy to date; and what his estimate is of the annual impact of this policy on the provision of child care places in each year since its establishment and in 2000–01. [122530]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 16 May 2000]: The annual costs of the National Child Care Strategy in England and related new child care places are as follows:
In 1998–99 £46 million was spent and 66,000 new child care places were created; this includes £5 million to the Further Education Funding Council who created 11,000 places for students in Further Education.136WIn 1999–2000 a total of £58.25 million was spent, £17 million of which was from the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) on out of school hours care, and £5 million was through the Further Education Funding Council on places for 0–4 year olds. Forecasts indicate that at the end of March 2000, 120,000 new places will have been created; this includes 5,000 through the FEFC.In 2000–2001 £63 million has been allocated to provide 135,000 new child care places; this includes £5 million for FEFC to provide 5,000 new places for 0–4 year olds. NOF do not allocate resources on an annual basis as this is a rolling programme, but £170 million is available from 1999–2003 to support the creation of new out of school places.