Free Nursery Places

Martin Linton
10. To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to increase the entitlement of three and four-year-olds to free nursery provision.

Beverley Hughes
We remain committed to extending the free early education entitlement for three and four-year-olds. It will increase from 12 and a half to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year by 2010. This increase will further improve the life chances of all children and will help parents to balance work and family life more easily. We recognise that there will be transitional issues for some providers. This is why we are rolling out the extended entitlement gradually. 20 pathfinder local authorities began delivering the extended entitlement in April 2007.