To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on research related to the education of children under the age of five in each of the last five years. (202875)

Figures on the Department’s expenditure on research on children and families, for each financial year since 2003, are given in the following table. These figures incorporate expenditure on research related to the education of children under the age of five.

In 2007-08, approximately £5 million of this money was spent on research related to early years. Expenditure on research specifically related to the education of children under the age of five for earlier years could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.