§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the number of children in Wirral, South who have gained from the National Childcare Strategy. [173625]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Department is unable to provide details of child care places for Wirral, South.
However, from April 1999 to March 2004, Wirral local authority created 5,763 new child care places, helping some 10,480 children. This shows an increase in the stock of child care places, taking into account turnover, of 3,358, helping some 6,213 children.