§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her timetable is for extending free nursery places to all three-year-olds in(a) Staffordshire and (b) England. [4983]
§ Mr. TimmsOur commitment is to provide every three-year-old, whose parents want one, with a free nursery education place by September 2004. In March 2001, around 55 per cent. of three-year-olds in England had access to a free part-time nursery education place. We are currently on target to provide 66 per cent. of all three-year-olds with a free place by March 2002.
Staffordshire local education authority estimates that around 35 per cent. of three-year-olds have access to a free nursery education place in their area. The access to free nursery education is influenced by the level of provision that the local authority makes available in its own area, as well as the places funded directly by Government. The allocation made by Government, through the Nursery Education Grant, is made on the basis of social disadvantage.