§ Mr. SimmondsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Government has spent on pre-school education and child care per head of children below compulsory school age in each year since 1998. [161018]
§ Mr. MilibandMy Department does not collect this information.
§ Mr. SimmondsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to tackle the regional disparities in the availability of child care places for children under compulsory school age. [161019]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Government are providing substantial new resources to increase the availability of high quality child care for all age groups of children. Funding for 2004–06 has been specifically targeted towards those local authorities with lower levels of child care in order to reduce regional disparities.
By December 2003, more than 920,000 new child care places had been created since 1997, benefiting over 1.6 million children. We are on track to create places for over 2 million children by 2006. All four-year-olds have been guaranteed a free early education place since 1998. With effect from 1 April 2004, every three-year-old will he able to access a free place, six months earlier than originally planned.