§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) full-time and (b) part-time nursery places were available in Warrington, North in each year since 1997. [143456]
§ Margaret HodgeThe information is not available in the form requested.
Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Warrington local education authority area are shown in the table.
The latest figures on early years provision in England were released by the Department on 27 November 2003 in the Statistical Bulletin "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age In England—January 2003", electronic copies of which are available from the Department's website, www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.
We have made the commitment that by April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three-year-olds in England whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place.
69W
Number of free nursery education places1,2 taken up by three and four-year-old children—Warrington Local Education Authority area 1997–2003, position in January each year Number of places 1997 3,200 1998 3,300 1999 3,200 2002 3,400 2001 4,300 2002 4,400 2003 4,400 1 Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-old children. 2 A free nursery education place comprises five two-and-a-half-hour sessions of early years education per week, for thirty-three weeks of the year, usually three terms of eleven weeks.
§ Mr. SwireTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to increase the(a) number of sessions and (b) terms for the pre-school sector in Devon. [142508]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Code of Practice already makes clear that the 55 sessions of funded early education represents a minimum annual entitlement for four year olds, and from April 2004, for three year olds. There is also flexibility within the Code to allow providers to spread the annual entitlement over a term of up to 14 weeks.