§ Mr. BercowTo 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 Buckingham in each of the last seven years. [161314]
§ 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 Buckinghamshire local education authority area are shown in the table.
The latest figures on provision for 3 and 4-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/.
By April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all 3-year-olds in England whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place.
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, Buckinghamshire local education authority area: 1997–2003 Position in January each year 3-year-olds 4-year-olds 1997 600 5,700 1998 700 5,900 1999 700 6,200 2000 700 6,100 2001 1,200 6,100 2002 2,500 5,900 2003 3,900 6,000 1 Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-old children. 2 A free nursery education place comprises five 2½ hour sessions of early years education per week, for 33 weeks of the year, usually three terms of 11 weeks.