Early Years Education (Hansard, 13 June 2002)

§ Mr. Andrew Turner
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 26 October 2001,Official Report, column 453W, on early years' education, if she will publish information on the number of places in early years settings taken up by (a) three year olds and (b) four year olds. [59240]

§ Maragret Hodge
[holding answer 10 June 2002]The latest national figures on early years provision in England were published by my Department in the Statistical First Release 09/2002 "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age In England: January 2002" in May 2002, a copy of which is available from the Library. Figures at LEA level will be made available in the bulletin to be published in October 2002. An electronic copy of the SFR and the 2001 bulletin are currently available on my Department's website (www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics).

§ Chris Grayling
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pre-school places there were in the(a) public and (b) private sector in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001. [59363]

§ Margaret Hodge
The information is not available in the form requested. The headcount for numbers of children aged four in the private and voluntary sector was first collected in 1999 and for children aged three in 2000. The available information is shown in the table.
The Department does not collect information on the total number of places in the private and voluntary sector.
Latest figures on provision for children under five years of age in England were published by my Department in the Statistical First Release "Provision 1412W for Children Under Five Years of Age in England January 2002 (provisional estimates) (09/2002)" on 17 May 2002, a copy of which is available from the Library. An electronic copy of this publication is also available on my Department's website (www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics).

§ Dr. Liam Fox (Woodspring)
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many places there were in day nurseries in each of the past five years; and how many day nurseries there were in each of those years; [56952]
(2) how many registered childminders there were in each of the past five years; [56953]
(3) how many playgroups there were in each of the past five years; and how many places were provided by playgroups in each of those years: [56954]
(4) how many places in after-school clubs were provided in each of the past five years; [56955]
(5) how many places were provided in school holiday schemes in each of the past five years. [56956]

§ Margaret Hodge
Information is not available in the form requested. The available information is shown in the tables. Local authorities provided the data.
The decline in numbers in some sectors such as the childminding and playgroup sectors coincided with increases in other forms of childcare over the past few years. Since 1995, the number of registered day nurseries has increased from 4,800 to 7,300, the number of registered holiday schemes from 2,900 to 10,500 and the number of registered out of school clubs from 1,300 to 4,300. The number of places for children attending all day care providers rose from 1,182,400 in 1995 to 1,569,200 in 2000. Latest figures on Day Care facilities in England was published by my Department in the Statistical Bulletin "Children's Day Care facilities at 31 March 2001 (08/01)" in October 2001, a copy of which is available from the Library.
Since September 1999, we have also invested substantially in new free early years education places for three year-olds. 335,000 three year-olds took up free early years education places in January 2001, up from 214,000 in January 1997. We estimate that there are free early years education places available for all eligible four year-olds in England. Figures on the take up of free early years places was published in a table alongside Statistical Bulletin 11/2001 "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age in England—January 2001". An electronic copy of the Bulletin is available on my Department's website (www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics).
Early estimates of day care provision in England at 31 March 2002 are expected to be published in a Statistical First Release in July.
1413W

Table 1: Number of daycare providers, by type^1,2 England 1997–2001

Position at 31 March each year

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Day nurseries 6,100 6,700 7,000 7,500 7,800

Registered childminders 98,500 94,700 82,200 75,600 72,300

Playgroups and pre-schools 15,800 15,700 15,000 14,300 14,000

¹Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Table 2: Number of daycareproviders, by type^1,2 England 1997–2001

Position at 31 March each year

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Day nurseries 193,800 223,000 247,700 264,200 285,100

Playgroups and pre-schools 383,700 383,600 347,200 353,100 330,200

Out of school clubs 78,700 92,300 113,800 141,100 152,800

Holiday schemes 209,000 256,500 435,300² 490,400 598,000

¹ Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

² Additional guidelines were given to providers in 1999.

Table 1: Number of daycare providers, by type^1,2 England 1997–2001
Position at 31 March each year
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Day nurseries	6,100	6,700	7,000	7,500	7,800
Registered childminders	98,500	94,700	82,200	75,600	72,300
Playgroups and pre-schools	15,800	15,700	15,000	14,300	14,000
¹Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Table 2: Number of daycareproviders, by type^1,2 England 1997–2001
Position at 31 March each year
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Day nurseries	193,800	223,000	247,700	264,200	285,100
Playgroups and pre-schools	383,700	383,600	347,200	353,100	330,200
Out of school clubs	78,700	92,300	113,800	141,100	152,800
Holiday schemes	209,000	256,500	435,300²	490,400	598,000
¹ Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
² Additional guidelines were given to providers in 1999.