Pre-schools

HC Deb 27 May 2004 vol 421 c1830W

Mr. Amess

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many registered pre-schools there are in the UK. [173412]

Margaret Hodge

My Department estimates that there were 10,100 pre-schools or playgroups in England in January 2003.

Information on early years education in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the Education Department of the Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Executive and the Department for Education for Northern Ireland respectively.

Provisional national estimates for January 2004 on provision for children under five in England will be published on 27 May in a Statistical Release "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004", a copy of which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.