asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children are receiving nursery education in West Cumbria; and what percentage of nursery age children this represents.

The information requested is not readily available for areas smaller than local education authorities. In Cumbria local education authority there were 1,957 full-time and part-time pupils under five years of age in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools in January 1982, the latest date for which information is available. This represented 19 per cent. of the estimated population aged three and four years.