§ Mr. FlookTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of three-year-olds have access to early years education in(a) Somerset, (b) Devon, (c) Wiltshire, (d) Cornwall, (e) Dorset, (f) North Somerset, (g) Bath and North East Somerset and (h) Bristol. [127772]
§ Mr. MilibandThe information is not available in the form requested.
The available information is shown in the table.
Number of free early years education places1 taken up by three- year-olds, January 2002
Local education authority area Number of free early years education places taken up by
three-year-olds
Somerset 2,400 Devon 2,800 Wiltshire 2,000 Cornwall 3,400 Dorset 1,300 North Somerset 1,100 Bath and North East Somerset 730 Bristol, City of 3,800 1 A free early education place is defined as a part-time place at a maintained nursery school or primary school or a part-time
equivalent place, i.e. five sessions (half days) a week, at a provider
other than a maintained nursery or primary school.
We have made the commitment that by April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three-year-olds whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place.
The latest figures on early years provision in England were published by the Department in the Statistical First Release 15/2003, "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age In England—January 2003 (Provisional)", copies of which are available from the Library and the Department's website: www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics