§ Mr. BentonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) free nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii) four-year-olds in Bootle in each of the last seven years. [169080]
§ Margaret HodgeThe information is not available in the form requested.
Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds in Sefton local education authority area are shown in the table.
The latest figures on provision for three and four-year-olds in England were published in a Statistical Bulletin "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2003" which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
Since the beginning of April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three-year-olds in England whose parents warn one, are eligible for a free, part-time early education place.
1257W
Number of free nursery education places1,2 taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and
private, voluntary and independent providers—Sefton local
education authority area: 1997–2003
Position in January each year 3-year-olds 4-year-olds 1997 2,100 3,200 1998 2,000 3,300 1999 2,100 3,200 2000 2,400 3,100 2001 2,900 3,200 2002 2,700 3.200 2003 2,700 3,000 1Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-old children. 2A free nursery education place comprises five two and a half hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks.