§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the total amount spent on(a) nursery and (b) pre-school education in (i) England in 1980 to 2000 and (ii) Wales in 1980 to 1998. [141680]
§ Ms Hodge[holding answer 11 December 2000]: Total Government expenditure on under-fives in England is estimated to increase by £1 billion in 2003–04 compared with 1996–97. All four-year-olds already have a guaranteed early education place. The Government have made a commitment to provide a free nursery education place for all three-year-olds by 2004.
The following table gives, in real terms at 1999–2000 prices, local education authority current expenditure on under-fives (including rising fives) in England from 1979–80 through to 1999–2000, including the nursery voucher scheme funding of £636 million in 1997–98. These figures include all local authority expenditure on nursery and pre-school education, including funding from sources outside that specifically allocated for this purpose.
Year £ million 1979–80 500 1980–81 531 1981–82 526 1982–83 559 1983–84 578 1984–85 614 1985–86 617 1986–87 678 1987–88 1,034 1988–89 1,084 1989–90 1,172 1990–91 1,221 1991–92 1,345 1992–93 1,460 1993–94 1,533 1994–95 1,623 1995–96 1,643 1996–97 1,671 1997–98 1,778 1998–99 1,810 1999–2000 11,904 1 Estimate Before 1987–88 the figures only include expenditure on under-fives in nursery schools. From 1987–88 onwards the figures include spending both in nursery schools and on under-fives in primary schools.
Responsibility for education matters in Wales rests with the National Assembly for Wales.