asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many children under the age of five years in Wales receive nursery education; what were the corresponding figures for the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
The information on pupils aged under five years in maintained nursery schools, for the years 1974 to 1984, is as follows:
| Under five's*in maintained nursery schools | |||
| At January each year | Full-time | Part-time | Total |
| 1974 | 1,513 | 2,787 | 4,300 |
| 1975 | 1,476 | 2,975 | 4,451 |
| 1976 | 1,608 | 2,887 | 4,495 |
| 1977 | 1,722 | 2,720 | 4,442 |
Under five's * in maintained nursery schools
| |||
At January each year
| Full-time
| Part-time
| Total
|
| 1978 | 1,767 | 2,790 | 4,557 |
| 1979 | 1,800 | 2,785 | 4,585 |
| 1980 | 1,692 | 2,624 | 4,316 |
| 1981 | 1,594 | 2,591 | 4,185 |
| 1982 | 1,464 | 2,654 | 4,118 |
| 1983 | 1,467 | 2,856 | 4,323 |
| 1984 | 1,460 | 2,962 | 4,422 |
* Aged as 31 December. | |||
Information on pupils in nursery classes in maintained primary schools, which is available from 1980, is as follows:
Pupils in nursery classes in maintained primary schools
| |||
At January each year
| Full-time
| Part-time
| Total
|
| 1980 | 6,323 | 10,199 | 16,522 |
| 1981 | 5,936 | 10,384 | 16,320 |
| 1982 | 6,127 | 11,412 | 17,539 |
| 1983 | 5,969 | 12,625 | 18,594 |
| 1984 | 6,110 | 13,694 | 19,804 |