Written question asked by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 April 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 May 2000. It was answered by Baroness Hodge of Barking (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 May 2000 on behalf of the Department for Education and Employment.

Dept for Education and Employment

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what plans he has to increase the funding of education for three year olds in areas of need outside the inner cities. - Inc figures.

Answer: Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase the funding of education for three-year-olds in areas of need outside the inner cities. [120122] Ms Hodge: Between September 1999 and April 2001 we have allocated £140 million to provide and additional 83,000 free early education places for three-year-olds, on the basis of each Local Education Authority's position on the Government's Index of Local Deprivation. A further £250 million has been allocated for 2001-02 to take the total number of new free places created to 190,000 by March 2002. The methodology that will be used to allocate these places in 2001-02 will be decided once we have had an opportunity to evaluate the progress of the scheme across all authorities this year. However, those authorities who have so far received low levels of funding are likely to see increases in their allocation in 2001-02.

Secondary information