§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the accuracy of forecasts of pre-school learning places made by(a) his Department and (b) the pre-school Learning Alliance since 1997. [123101]
§ Ms HodgeMy Department collects information about pupils in maintained and independent schools in the Annual Schools Census. Information about Government—funded places in private nursery schools, pre-schools and playgroups, and independent schools, which are registered with Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships, is obtained from the Early Years Census.
I understand that the pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA) does not collect information about pre-school places, but it does conduct an annual survey of a sample of pre-schools asking whether they think their group is threatened with closure. The PLA's most recent survey published in March was based on a sample of 722 pre-schools and playgroups.
We commissioned an independent review of pre-schools and playgroups last summer to look at what further steps could be taken to help pre-schools and playgroups play their full part in the expansion of early education and child care services, and have responded positively to its recommendations. We also announced a further scheme to assist pre-schools and playgroups facing financial difficulties.
§ Mr. AshdownTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many places in pre-school education for three-year-olds have been funded by the Government in each local education authority; what proportion of this age cohort this represents for each local education authority; and if he will make a statement. [122239]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 16 May 2000]: The Government provided specific funding for new, free early education places for three-year-olds for the first time in 1999–2000, although some local education authorities did provide free places before that. The following table shows the number of free early education places for three-year-olds funded by means of Nursery Education Grant in spring term 2000, the latest period for which figures are available. 65 local education authorities received grants for the spring term. From the summer term 2000, all will do so. In 1999–2000, 80 per cent. of the new Government—funded places were in the private and voluntary sectors. £100 million is being provided for 2000–01 which will fund an additional 83,000 places.
These figures do not include funding for provision for under-fives in the maintained sector made through the Standard Spending Assessment. We will shortly be publishing data from the annual Schools Census on the 127W number of children receiving free early education places in the maintained sector, and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Population estimates for individual years of age are not sufficiently robust, at local education authority level, to enable the calculation of participation rates.
Local education authority area Three-year-old places Barking and Dagenham 294 Barnsley 226 Birmingham 3,487 Blackburn with Darwen 438 Blackpool 1,271 Bolton 796 Bradford 805 Brent 754 Brighton and Hove 712 Camden 769 City of Leicester 964 Cornwall 1,666 Coventry 1,047 Doncaster 110 Durham 357 Ealing 555 Gateshead 562 Greenwich 715 Hackney 964 Halton 565 Hammersmith and Fulham 421 Haringey 734 Hartlepool 36 Hounslow 479 Isle of Wight 23 Islington 793 Kingston upon Hull 460 Kirklees 407 Knowsley 73 Lambeth 1,356 Leeds 1,779 Lewisham 830 Liverpool 1,297 Manchester 529 Middlesbrough 53 North East Lincolnshire 521 Newcastle upon Tyne 823 Newham 743 North Tyneside 54 Nottingham, City of 657 Oldham 846 Plymouth 358 Redcar and Cleveland 2 Rochdale 885 Rotherham 811 Salford 147 Sandwell 471 Sefton 321 Sheffield 1,808 128W
Table 1: Children aged three in free early—years education places1 England and each local education authority in London, 1996–2000 (provisional) Position as at January LEA name 19962 19972 19982 19992 20033,5 England 210,075 214,173 222,031 225,669 266,410 Barking and Dagenham4 1,331 1,332 1,408 1,329 1,630 Barnet 1,780 2,021 2,010 2,026 2,010 Bexley 1,009 1,069 1,242 1,300 1,390 Brent4 1,778 1,712 1,706 1,708 2,380 Bromley 111 107 197 216 240 Camden4 765 802 890 928 1,450 City of London 12 11 15 11 10 Croydon 1,420 1,537 1,720 1,859 1,830
Local education authority area Three-year-old places South Tyneside 81 Southwark 745 St. Helens 362 Stockton on Tees 67 Stoke on Trent 332 Sunderland 690 Tameside 516 Telford and Wrekin 464 Tower Hamlets 315 Wakefield 478 Walsall 102 Waltham Forest 773 Wandsworth 1,393 Westminster 579 Wirral 1,206 Wolverhampton 135 Total 43,012
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many three-year-olds had free early-years education places providing five or more sessions of education per week(a) in 1979, (b) in 1990 and (c) for each year from 1992 to 1999 (i) in England and (ii) in each local education authority in London. [122709]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 19 May 2000]: The information is not available in the form requested. Up to September 1999, 'free' places for three-year-olds were available only in maintained nursery and primary schools funded directly by local education authorities. Since September 1999 specific funding by the Government for three-year-olds has been extended to private, voluntary and independent providers via the Early-Years Development and Childcare Partnerships in 65 local education authorities, including 18 London authorities. From summer 2000 this extra funding will be available in all local authority areas.
The available information on the numbers of three-year-olds in early-years provision for England and in each local education authority in London is shown in the following tables. Table 1 gives the number of children in free early-years education places from 1996 to 2000. Table 2 shows the number of new funded places for three-year-olds being created in all sectors over the next year, including projected figures for summer 2000, autumn 2000 and spring 2001.
The new places are supported by £100 million of funding. Half of all three-year-olds will have access to a free place by spring 2001, and the Government are well on track to meet the 2002 target of expanding overall nursery provision to 66 per cent. of three-year-olds.
129W
Table 1: Children aged three in free early-years education places1 England and each local education authority in London, 1996–2000 (provisional) Position as at January LEA name 19962 19972 19982 19992 20003,5 Ealing4 2,705 2,625 2,692 2,686 3,140 Enfield 1,110 1,112 1,136 1,235 1,230 Greenwich4 1,785 1,981 1,841 1,889 2,600 Hackney4 1,536 1,474 1,543 1,624 2,430 Hammersmith and Fulham4 1,055 1,053 1,055 1,061 1,470 Haringey4 1,894 2,004 1,944 1,949 2,210 Harrow 489 451 588 576 620 Havering 378 449 464 459 550 Hillingdon 473 560 620 636 1,360 Hounslow4 1,562 1,563 1,605 1,505 1,990 Islington4 1,342 1,266 1,256 1,283 1,840 Kensington and Chelsea 486 542 523 513 590 Kingston upon Thames 931 888 892 892 930 Lambeth4 1,396 1,462 1,855 1,911 3,150 Lewisham4 1,363 1,412 1,475 1,877 2,560 Merton 1,749 1,644 1,707 1,668 1,670 Newham4 2,074 2,030 2,103 3,189 3,860 Redbridge 626 687 824 1,318 1,600 Richmond upon Thames 597 570 587 555 590 Southwark4 2,158 2,222 2,290 2,278 2,820 Sutton 270 325 259 289 250 Tower Hamlets4 2,288 2,340 2,264 2,405 2,610 Waltham Forest4 1,069 944 1,209 1,281 2,040 Wandsworth4 1,590 1,614 1,590 1,584 2,860 Westminster4 737 727 794 824 1,300 1 Prior to September 1999, free places for three-year-olds were only available in maintained nursery and primary schools. Since September 1999 funding has been extended to private, voluntary and independent providers. 2 Headcount numbers collected from maintained schools in January each year as part of the Annual Schools' Census. 3 Estimates combining Annual Schools' Census data from maintained schools in January 2000 and data submitted by LEAs for Nursery Education Grant purposes relating to private, voluntary and independent providers in spring 2000. 4 LEAs eligible to provide funding for three-year-olds in the private, voluntary and independent sectors via Early-Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. In spring 2000 there were a total of 65 such LEAs in England. 5 Provisional. 130W 131W
Table 2: New funded places for three-year-olds1 in England and in each local education authority in London by sector: projected position as at summer 2000, autumn 2000 and spring 2001 Summer 2000 LEA name LEA maintained Private Voluntary Independent England 6,067 25,598 24,953 3,344 Barking and Dagenham 100 60 202 0 Barnet 0 41 40 0 Bexley 0 0 55 0 Brent 0 750 50 0 Bromley 25 170 171 0 Camden 0 0 0 0 City of London 0 0 0 0 Croydon 0 450 450 0 Ealing 25 335 50 0 Enfield 0 428 0 0 Greenwich 10 205 273 186 Hackney 0 0 0 0 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 332 41 10 Haringey 230 50 420 4 Harrow 0 30 0 0 Havering 0 0 0 0 Hillingdon 0 492 0 0 Hounslow 146 417 78 0 Islington 188 171 481 0 Kensington and Chelsea 0 150 180 0 Kingston upon Thames 0 35 0 0 Lambeth 153 550 497 200 Lewisham 0 411 423 0 Merton 0 5 5 2 Newham 250 100 315 0 Redbridge 26 400 400 87 Richmond upon Thames 41 0 0 0 Southwark 128 51 419 0 Sutton 0 23 23 0
Table 2: New funded places for three-year-olds1 in England and in each local education authority in London by sector: projected position as at summer 2000, autumn 2000 and spring 2001 Summer 2000 LEA name LEA maintained Private Voluntary Independent Tower Hamlets 0 0 275 0 Waltham Forest 1,110 282 541 5 Wandsworth 282 600 250 366 Westminster 107 188 251 60
Autumn 2000 LEA name LEA maintained Private Voluntary Independent England 11,282 30,025 25,941 4,808 Barking and Dagenham 30 10 60 0 Barnet 0 41 40 0 Bexley 0 0 74 0 Brent 0 750 50 0 Bromley 0 170 171 0 Camden 214 172 189 0 City of London 0 0 0 0 Croydon 0 450 450 0 Ealing 25 335 50 0 Enfield 0 886 0 0 Greenwich 10 205 273 186 Hackney 95 15 231 284 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 329 41 10 Haringey 650 25 25 4 Harrow 0 300 0 0 Havering 240 56 13 9 Hillingdon 0 554 0 0 Hounslow 146 135 25 0 Islington 188 171 469 0 Kensington and Chelsea 150 180 0 0 Kingston upon Thames 0 35 0 0 Lambeth 153 550 497 200 Lewisham 0 430 423 0 Merton 0 5 5 2 Newham 250 450 450 0 Redbridge 26 400 400 87 Richmond upon Thames 4 0 0 0 Southwark 128 51 419 0 Sutton 0 23 23 0 Tower Hamlets 0 0 275 0 Waltham Forest 1,110 282 541 5 Wandsworth 799 589 265 366 Westminster 107 188 251 60 132W 133W
Spring 2001 LEA name LEA maintained Private Voluntary Independent England 10,673 30,937 28,006 2,569 Barking and Dagenham 35 30 259 0 Barnet 0 41 40 0 Bexley 0 0 45 0 Brent 0 750 50 0 Bromley 0 170 171 0 Camden 364 311 222 3 City of London 1 0 0 0 Croydon 0 450 450 0 Ealing 25 335 50 0 Enfield 0 1,314 0 0 Greenwich 10 205 273 186 Hackney 179 121 490 340 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 327 41 10 Haringey 120 50 430 4 Harrow 0 300 0 0 Havering 0 0 0 0 Hillingdon 0 432 0 0 Hounslow 146 257 48 0 Islington 188 171 481 0
Spring 2001 LEA name LEA maintained Private Voluntary Independent Kensington and Chelsea 150 180 0 0 Kingston upon Thames 0 35 0 0 Lambeth 153 550 497 200 Lewisham 0 430 448 0 Merton 0 15 10 2 Newham 250 100 250 0 Redbridge 26 400 400 87 Richmond upon Thames 41 0 0 0 Southwark 128 51 419 0 Sutton 0 23 23 0 Tower Hamlets 0 0 275 0 Waltham Forest 1,110 282 541 5 Wandsworth 297 629 265 366 Westminster 107 188 251 60 1 Estimates based upon an analysis of Early—Years Development and Childcare Partnership Plans
§ Ms KellyTo ask the Secretary of state for Education and Employment (1) how much his Department has spent on the provision of nursery places; and what estimate he has made of the number of nursery places created by this funding in each year since 1997 and in 2000–01; [122529]
(2) how much has been spent by his Department on the provision of nursery places since 1997; [122605]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the number of nursery places in each year since 1997. [123021]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answers 17 May 2000, 18 May 2000 and 22 May 2000]: The following table shows the number of early education places for three and four-year-olds that have been taken up in each year since 1997. It also shows the amount of funding the Government have made available to fund these places through either Nursery Education Grant or the Under Five's Education Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) sub block, which has been increased by £253 million from £1,089 million in 1997–98 to £1,342 million in 2000–01, and on current plans is estimated to increase to £1,430 million in 2001–02. The 1998 figure represents an increase of 25 per cent. in the number of free, early education places taken up in 1992.
Estimated take up of 3 and 4–year—old places for each year between 1997–98 and 2001–02 with associated funding Funding £ million Places 1997–98 1,189 787,976 1998–99 1,299.7 800,560 1999–2000 1,441.9 858,944 2000–01 1,567.4 908,085 2001–02 1,805 1,015,000
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pre-school learning places have(a) ceased to exist and (b) been created in each year since April 1991. [123100]
§ Ms HodgeInformation is not available in the form requested. The Department does collect information on playgroups and other day care facilities, which is published in Statistical Volume "Children's Day Care Facilities" (as at 31 March) which is available from the Library. This shows that the total number of places in pre-schools and playgroups fell from 383,700 in 1997 to134W 347,200 in 1999, a reduction of 36,500. This was due to the introduction of vouchers by the previous Administration. However, since 1999, information from Early Years Development Plans indicates that an extra 33,000 places will have been created in playgroups and the voluntary sector by Spring 2001 as a result of the introduction of early years development partnerships.
The number of funded early education places for three and four year olds that have been taken up in each year since 1997 are as follows:
Year Number 1997–98 787,976 1998–99 800,560 1999–00 858,944 2000–01 908,085
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what reviews he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated of the funding mechanism for the provision of pre-school learning places. [123103]
§ Ms HodgeThe independent review of pre-schools and playgroups, commissioned by the Government last year, included several recommendations concerning funding for early years. The main recommendation called for consultation on the feasibility of a funding system to replace the nursery grants and child care grant, which would allow greater flexibility to meet local needs, and greater stability for pre-schools and playgroups. The progress report, published last week, set out the current position: the Department will, as part of its own spending review, evaluate whether changes can be made to the current arrangements to further assist those nursery settings outside the maintained sector. We expect to complete this by the end of the year.
In response to other funding recommendations in the report, we have announced funding of £500,000 for a further scheme to assist pre-schools and playgroups facing financial difficulties, to give them a further breathing space as policy initiatives work through to individual groups, and £250,000 for projects to help pre-schools and playgroups develop, in partnership with others, as the early education and care places expand.