§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the total number of(a) new early education places for three year olds and (b) new child care places created in the Leeds, Central parliamentary constituency since May 1997. [156747]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 3 April 2001]: As figures for early years education places are not held by individual constituencies, the information provided relates to Leeds local education authority.
The overall proportion of three-year olds in the Leeds area able to access a free, part time, early education place was 66 per cent. in May 1997. All three-year olds in Leeds will be able to access a free early education place from this month. 1,621 additional early education places were created for three-year olds in Leeds local education authority between May 1997 and March 2001.
Child care figures by constituency are only available from April 1999. 208 new child care places have been created in Leeds, Central since April 1999. Between May 1997 and March 1999 the National Childcare Strategy created 7,759 child care places in Yorkshire and Humberside.