asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authority nursery schools provided as a result of the urban programme are to be closed as a result of the cuts in public expenditure.

Local education authorities are not obliged to inform my right hon. Friend of their intention to close maintained nursery schools. My Department knows of only one such closure, and the school concerned was not provided under the urban programme.

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but does she agree that schools and classes made available under the urban programme were provided because of a desperate need in areas of special provision? Will she say how she intends to ensure that the statement in the 1976 public expenditure White Paper, that areas of special need will continue to have provision, is carried out?

We are hoping that that statement will be carried through and that provision will be maintained. Whether it is done through the urban programme or in some other way is another matter. At the moment, I am not aware that nursery schools provided under the urban programme are under threat; nor, I hope, will they be.