§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make arrangements to ensure that the children of political asylum seekers attend pre-school facilities; and what the cost of that would be to public funds. [116535]
§ Jacqui SmithLocal education authorities already have a legal duty to ensure that all eligible four-year-olds, including children of asylum seekers, are entitled to a free part-time place in any registered pre-school setting. In addition, from April 2000, all local education authorities will receive funding to provide a free early education place to the most needy three-year-old children in their area. It is up to local education authorities to set their own criteria of social need which may include providing places to children of asylum seekers.
Local education authorities receive funding from this Department for the provision of pre-school places in the form of a nursery education grant which is £1,130 per child per year for each eligible three and four-year-old child.
It is not possible to calculate the overall cost of pre-school education for children of asylum seekers, as separate records are not kept.