§ Ms WardTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money nursery schools will receive from the Chancellor's pre-Budget Statement allocation to schools. [139451]
§ Ms HodgeMaintained nursery schools in England will receive just over £2 million in total from the allocation in the Pre-Budget Statement of £167 million of additional capital grant to schools in England for 2000–01.
In addition, maintained nursery schools are receiving £7 million in 2000–01 to develop and extend the services they offer and to upgrade buildings and equipment so that they can provide wrap around care and other family support services.
The funding we are making available to these schools is part of our overall commitment to the early years which includes, for the first time, the provision of free early education places for three-year-olds across all sectors. All three-year-olds will be able to access a free early education place by September 2004 and total spending on nursery education will increase from £1 billion in 1996–97 to £2 billion in 2003–04.
Following the March 2000 Budget, we made additional direct grant payments of £3,000 to each nursery school. This was increased following the Spending Review to £6,000 per school.