asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many places have been provided for nursery schools during each of the past five years: what has been the cost in each year; and if he will make a statement about the present and future programme.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested by the hon. Member. The tables following show the resources made available under my Department's nursery education building programme; and the net increase in the number of places and pupils in nursery schools and nursery classes in primary schools in England, for each of the past five years:

NURSERY EDUCATION BUILDING PROGRAMME
Financial Year	Expenditure (£m)
1974–75	21·5
1975–76	17·2
1976–77	9·3
1977–78	2·7
1978–79	4·4

NET INCREASE IN PLACES AND PUPILS IN NURSERY SCHOOLS AND NURSERY CLASSES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS (ENGLAND)
	NURSERY SCHOOLS	NURSERY CLASSES
Financtal Year	Places	Places
1974–75	1,058	7,633
1975–76	936	10,354
1976–77	1,030	12,997
1977–78 (provisional)	498	7,279
1978–79	Not yet known	Not yet known

With regard to the present and future programme, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) on 23 October.