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Regional Government White Paper

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the White Paper on Regional Government will be published. [35308]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 80W.

Ministerial Meetings (Lobbyists)

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings (a) he and (b) his senior departmental officials have had with Enron and its subsidiaries in the last two years. [32430]

Tom Brake: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what occasions he and his Department have held meetings since May 1997 with representatives from (a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Exxon-Mobil, (d) Enron, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf; if he will state the purpose of each meeting; and if he will provide details of the outcomes and agreements reached as a result of each meeting. [33218]

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and employees of Citigate since 7 June 2001; and if he will make a statement. [32813]

12 Feb 2002 : Column 191W

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Mr. Cox: To ask the Solicitor-General in how many cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service it decided not to prosecute in each of the last three years. [34419]

The Solicitor-General: The figures show the number of defendants whose case was handled by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last three years, and the outcome of proceedings.

The number and proportion of defendants whose case was discontinued in a magistrates' court was as follows:

NumberPercentage
1999164,68212.1
2000166,00112.8
2001172,39813.1

The number and proportion of defendants whose case was dropped in the Crown Court before a jury was sworn was as follows:

NumberPercentage
19999,33110.7
200010,07011.9
200111,29213.7


12 Feb 2002 : Column 192W

The above figures represent cases in which the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to proceed with a prosecution on consideration of the evidence and the public interest.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Nursery Places

Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the (a) actual and (b) percentage change in the number of nursery places provided by the (i) statutory and voluntary sectors and (ii) private sector in each education authority in England and Wales between 1996–97 and 2001–02; what percentage of three year olds had a nursery place in 1996–97; how many had a nursery place in 2000–01; and how many she expects to have a nursery place in 2001–02 in each education authority in England. [32406]

Margaret Hodge: The following table contains the available information on numbers of free early years education places taken up by three and four-year-olds. It has been derived from the table published alongside Statistical Bulletin 11/2001 "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age in England—January 2001" on my Department's statistical website www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics/. My Department is planning to publish information for January 2002 in May.

My Department estimates that there are free early years education places available for all eligible four-year-olds in England. Since September 1999, we have invested substantially in new free early years education places for three-year-olds. The table shows three-year-olds took up 335,000 free early years education places in January 2001, up from 214,000 in January 1997. We are committed to providing all three-year-olds, whose parents want one, with free early years education places by September 2004.

Information for Wales is a matter for the Education Department of the National Assembly for Wales.

Numbers of three and four-year-olds taking up free early education places, England, Government office regions and LEA areas 1997–2001
Position in January each year (spring term)

1997
3-year-olds
Maintained nursery and primary schools(13),(14)Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(15)4-year-olds(16),(17)Total
England214,1730576,176790,349
North-east23,707031,81155,518
Darlington91501,2902,205
Durham4,21705,86810,084
Gateshead1,25902,2413,500
Hartlepool1,14301,2152,358
Middlesbrough1,91902,0043,923
Newcastle-upon-Tyne1,87803,0874,965
North Tyneside1,83702,4414,278
Northumberland2,25503,6385,893
Redcar and Cleveland1,98801,8893,877
South Tyneside1,52501,9233,448
Stockton on Tees2,35102,5154,866
Sunderland2,42003,7016,121
North-west42,204083,348125,552
Blackburn with Darwen70901,9122,621
Blackpool54701,5932,140
Bolton2,29503,3415,636
Bury1,07902,2813,360
Cheshire2,63607,55510,192
Cumbria2,59705,5878,184
Halton55801,5702,128
Knowsley2,04402,2634,307
Lancashire4,392012,42716,819
Liverpool4,18705,5959,782
Manchester3,72205,9819,703
Oldham1,54003,1244,664
Rochdale1,40702,7904,197
Salford2,23103,2635,494
Sefton2,05103,2265,277
St. Helens1,10802,2003,308
Stockport1,63403,2744,908
Tameside1,70502,8814,586
Trafford1,85602,8154,671
Warrington82702,3273,154
Wigan1,43403,5134,947
Wirral1,64503,8305,475
Yorkshire and the Humber31,844061,66493,508
Barnsley1,26402,8684,132
Bradford4,37606,63711,013
Calderdale1,30902,6263,935
Doncaster2,36403,8006,164
East Riding of Yorkshire1,05303,2144,267
Kingston Upon Hull, City of2,24003,5175,757
Kirklees2,97404,9117,885
Leeds6,06508,75514,820
North East Lincolnshire92202,0793,001
North Lincolnshire52101,8422,363
North Yorkshire1,64205,9967,638
Rotherham1,30403,3974,701
Sheffield2,59405,9528,546
Wakefield2,54004,2176,757
York67601,8532,529
East Midlands17,140047,87065,010
Derby1,33103,0563,056
Derbyshire3,61208,29513,238
Leicester92403,9093,909
Leicestershire1,47405,9218,400
Lincolnshire1,68606,5768,262
Northamptonshire2,27707,4649,741
Nottingham1,81603,8715,688
Nottinghamshire3,93908,39612,335
Rutland810382382
West Midlands29,098064,11793,215
Birmingham7,427012,47419,901
Coventry1,67403,6515,325
Dudley2,26703,6965,963
Herefordshire18201,8692,051
Sandwell3,03503,9907,025
Shropshire47102,9443,415
Solihull1,25002,5753,825
Staffordshire3,47109,56314,227
Stoke-on-Trent1,19303,0853,085
Telford and Wrekin31901,9212,240
Walsall3,07903,5856,664
Warwickshire1,35705,5516,908
Wolverhampton2,79303,2776,070
Worcestershire58005,9376,517
East of England11,658062,00573,663
Bedfordshire1,26604,7046,739
Cambridgeshire1,09305,7696,861
Essex1,559014,00715,566
Hertfordshire4,095013,79617,891
Luton76902,6742,674
Norfolk1,49308,1849,677
Peterborough37301,9222,295
Southend-on-Sea21301,9182,131
Suffolk60507,3517,956
Thurrock19201,6801,872
London40,536085,128125,664
Inner London18,959031,79450,753
Camden80201,8082,610
City of London1103041
Hackney1,47402,6254,099
Hammersmith and Fulham1,05301,3362,389
Haringey2,00402,9134,917
Islington1,26602,1843,450
Kensington and Chelsea54201,2131,755
Lambeth1,46202,7064,168
Lewisham1,41202,9174,329
Newham2,03003,7595,789
Southwark2,22203,0675,289
Tower Hamlets2,34002,7225,062
Wandsworth1,61403,0354,649
Westminster72701,4782,205
Outer London21,577053,33474,911
Barking and Dagenham1,33202,4363,768
Barnet2,02103,5345,555
Bexley1,06902,6573,726
Brent1,71203,0474,759
Bromley10703,4273,534
Croydon1,53703,9515,488
Ealing2,62503,8516,476
Enfield1,11203,1794,291
Greenwich1,98102,9944,975
Harrow45102,3082,759
Havering44902,4142,863
Hillingdon56003,2683,828
Hounslow1,56302,5604,123
Kingston upon Thames88801,5642,452
Merton1,64402,2253,869
Redbridge68702,9433,630
Richmond upon Thames57001,8432,413
Sutton32502,1402,465
Waltham Forest94402,9933,937
South-east10,602088,32998,931
Bracknell Forest21801,5361,754
Brighton and Hove45002,4412,441
Buckinghamshire59705,6796,566
East Sussex93304,7996,182
Hampshire1,092013,10914,568
Isle of Wight11501,3021,417
Kent1,532014,63516,167
Medway31502,9623,277
Milton Keynes29002,7432,743
Oxfordshire77006,8757,645
Portsmouth17102,0392,039
Reading25501,7962,051
Slough23101,5591,790
Southampton19602,1482,148
Surrey2,080012,05114,131
West Berkshire23601,7611,996
West Sussex64807,5978,245
Windsor and Maidenhead22501,5651,790
Wokingham24801,7321,980
South-west7,384051,90459,288
Bath and North East Somerset30801,6851,993
Bournemouth12701,5331,533
Bristol, City of2,75504,6887,443
Cornwall(18)98805,1366,124
Devon86606,8667,732
Dorset30003,6214,175
Gloucestershire5806,1716,229
North Somerset15901,8101,969
Plymouth36102,8853,246
Poole12701,3481,348
Somerset47205,2045,676
South Gloucestershire40302,7453,148
Swindon9402,1422,142
Torbay15101,2131,364
Wiltshire21504,8585,167

12 Feb 2002 : Column 197W

2001
3-year-olds
Maintained nursery and primary schools(13)Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(15)4-year-olds(16)Total
England226,634108,815589,293924,742
North-east21,8713,28829,43654,595
Darlington919491,2992,268
Durham3,8506125,4519,913
Gateshead1,3425932,2754,209
Hartlepool961341,1302,125
Middlesbrough1,8491151,5373,502
Newcastle-upon-Tyne1,7738572,9285,558
North Tyneside1,7672322,2914,290
Northumberland2,1391363,4215,696
Redcar and Cleveland1,601141,7073,322
South Tyneside1,4501431,7193,312
Stockton on Tees1,8131002,3294,242
Sunderland2,4074043,3476,158
North-west39,56620,72784,733145,025
Blackburn with Darwen9666792,0303,676
Blackpool3141,0751,5622,951
Bolton2,0889263,6596,673
Bury1,046912,2173,354
Cheshire2,1727837,80010,755
Cumbria2,4101,1385,5869,133
Halton5425771,4142,533
Knowsley1,8471332,1844,164
Lancashire4,1995,15515,68125,036
Liverpool3,6481,3104,4799,436
Manchester3,8907135,3759,978
Oldham1,5071,0483,0515,606
Rochdale1,2879662,7334,985
Salford1,8362472,7124,795
Sefton2,1037783,1556,036
St. Helens1,0844952,0793,659
Stockport1,703873,3235,114
Tameside1,5805812,7644,925
Trafford1,4971962,5514,244
Warrington8891,0992,3604,348
Wigan1,3581,1943,6346,186
Wirral1,6001,4554,3837,438
Yorkshire and the Humber31,80415,22358,804105,831
Barnsley1,3565292,0983,983
Bradford4,5201,1965,88211,598
Calderdale1,1846662,3644,215
Doncaster2,2491613,7406,150
East Riding of Yorkshire1,0241383,3884,550
Kingston Upon Hull, City of2,0365173,1705,724
Kirklees2,4891,4885,0289,005
Leeds5,6421,7868,43615,864
North East Lincolnshire9335541,9023,388
North Lincolnshire6375361,7712,944
North Yorkshire1,7053,2186,28711,210
Rotherham1,3648763,0935,333
Sheffield3,3722,0305,82511,227
Wakefield2,5926113,9807,183
York7019161,8403,457
East Midlands19,1038,32148,82976,253
Derby1,8458592,8085,512
Derbyshire4,0163,0998,38415,499
Leicester2,1461,1123,8497,107
Leicestershire1296396,6417,408
Lincolnshire1,749417,0228,812
Northamptonshire2,2948357,87611,005
Nottingham2,5097003,5576,765
Nottinghamshire4,3281,0088,31813,653
Rutland8730374491
West Midlands30,4419,45065,826105,717
Birmingham7,2003,84414,03325,076
Coventry1,9841,0313,7536,767
Dudley2,3367383,7436,816
Herefordshire3361152,2492,701
Sandwell3,0591003,5096,668
Shropshire4993093,1443,952
Solihull1,499592,7114,270
Staffordshire2,5544439,20112,198
Stoke-on-Trent1,8423672,8365,044
Telford and Wrekin6515962,1153,363
Walsall2,8381513,4276,416
Warwickshire1,4738135,9648,250
Wolverhampton2,5841343,0105,728
Worcestershire1,5867516,1328,468
East of England15,7404,35264,06084,151
Bedfordshire1,2022184,8886,308
Cambridgeshire1,1548675,8977,918
Essex1,99222115,05117,264
Hertfordshire6,40625713,49520,159
Luton9759962,6434,614
Norfolk1,9321268,40410,462
Peterborough2885932,1323,013
Southend-on-Sea4464402,0872,973
Suffolk8574777,6178,950
Thurrock4881571,8452,490
London46,67920,82587,835155,339
Inner London21,50810,07834,05865,644
Camden9157182,0753,707
City of London1213548
Hackney1,5209682,7145,202
Hammersmith and Fulham1,0255861,5643,174
Haringey1,9324863,3915,809
Islington1,2528122,0894,153
Kensington and Chelsea6122771,0311,920
Lambeth1,9551,1633,0626,180
Lewisham1,8929683,0185,878
Newham3,3065513,9477,804
Southwark2,2421,1503,3976,789
Tower Hamlets2,3582812,8095,448
Wandsworth1,6291,3493,2106,187
Westminster8587681,7173,343
Outer London25,17110,74753,77889,695
Barking and Dagenham1,4183262,3384,082
Barnet1,9953893,6656,049
Bexley1,3149112,5704,796
Brent1,6848752,9855,544
Bromley2474283,6574,332
Croydon1,8946234,1236,640
Ealing2,6045273,7256,856
Enfield1,2361,0343,4835,753
Greenwich1,8007652,8465,411
Harrow6153502,3793,344
Havering6031,2102,3174,130
Hillingdon1,8131193,3365,268
Hounslow1,5645502,4914,605
Kingston upon Thames9111721,6782,760
Merton1,7071172,0993,923
Redbridge1,5878523,3525,790
Richmond upon Thames546401,9742,560
Sutton2663602,0372,663
Waltham Forest1,3671,0982,7235,188
South-east12,70514,25593,691120,651
Bracknell Forest1477351,3292,212
Brighton and Hove7321,0322,5604,325
Buckinghamshire7904046,0757,269
East Sussex5881,1134,9536,654
Hampshire5891,74814,56016,897
Isle of Wight1314711,4332,035
Kent1,49481815,77318,085
Medway4122,1193,2315,762
Milton Keynes3791972,7743,349
Oxfordshire1,0242136,8858,122
Portsmouth4418802,5013,822
Reading7162021,7212,639
Slough976321,6552,664
Southampton3341,3462,3103,990
Surrey2,4262,14512,75517,326
West Berkshire273991,6462,018
West Sussex8164418,2229,479
Windsor and Maidenhead3062261,5212,052
Wokingham131321,7871,950
South-west8,72512,37556,08077,180
Bath and North East Somerset2881951,8272,310
Bournemouth2829141,5682,764
Bristol, City of2,6531,1694,4538,274
Cornwall(18)9872,0895,2088,284
Devon1,2006307,3309,159
Dorset2152883,9874,490
Gloucestershire973,3858,47211,954
North Somerset200982,0002,297
Plymouth7441,5082,5404,792
Poole927421,3742,208
Somerset5032175,4046,124
South Gloucestershire3411453,1143,600
Swindon4121722,3462,930
Torbay3915051,3492,245
Wiltshire3203195,1085,747

12 Feb 2002 : Column 201W

Actual change in numbers 1997 to 2001(19) Percentage change in numbers 1997 to 2001(20)
3-year-olds4-year-olds3-year-olds4-year-olds
England121,27613,118572
North-east1,452-2,3756-7
Darlington531061
Durham245-4176-7
Gateshead67634541
Hartlepool-148-85-13-7
Middlesbrough45-4672-23
Newcastle-upon-Tyne752-15940-5
North Tyneside162-1509-6
Northumberland20-2161-6
Redcar & Cleveland-373-182-19-10
South Tyneside68-2044-11
Stockton on Tees-438-185-19-7
Sunderland391-35416-10
0
North-west18,0891,385432
Blackburn with Darwen9361181326
Blackpool842-32154-2
Bolton7193193110
Bury58-635-3
Cheshire319245123
Cumbria951-137-0
Halton561-156101-10
Knowsley-64-79-3-3
Lancashire4,9633,25411326
Liverpool771-1,11618-20
Manchester881-60524-10
Oldham1,015-7366-2
Rochdale846-5860-2
Salford-148-551-7-17
Sefton830-7140-2
St. Helens471-12143-5
Stockport15650102
Tameside456-11727-4
Trafford-163-264-9-9
Warrington1,162331411
Wigan1,118120783
Wirral1,4105538614
Yorkshire and the Humber15,183-2,86048-5
Barnsley621-77049-27
Bradford1,340-75531-11
Calderdale541-26241-10
Doncaster46-602-2
East Riding of Yorkshire109174105
Kingston Upon Hull, City of313-34614-10
Kirklees1,003117342
Leeds1,362-31922-4
North East Lincolnshire565-17861-9
North Lincolnshire652-72125-4
North Yorkshire3,2812912005
Rotherham936-30472-9
Sheffield2,808-127108-2
Wakefield663-23626-6
York941-13139-1
East Midlands10,284960602
Derby1,372-248103-8
Derbyshire3,50389971
Leicester2,334-60253-2
Leicestershire-706720-4812
Lincolnshire10444767
Northamptonshire852413376
Nottingham1,392-31477-8
Nottinghamshire1,397-7835-1
Rutland35-843-2
West Midlands10,7931,709373
Birmingham3,6171,5584912
Coventry1,341102803
Dudley80746361
Herefordshire27038014820
Sandwell124-4814-12
Shropshire337201717
Solihull308137255
Staffordshire-474-362-14-4
Stoke-on-Trent1,016-24985-8
Telford and Wrekin92919429210
Walsall-90-158-3-4
Warwickshire929412687
Wolverhampton-75-267-3-8
Worcestershire1,7571943033
East of England8,4342,055723
Bedfordshire155183124
Cambridgeshire928129852
Essex6541,044427
Hertfordshire2,568-30163-2
Luton1,202-31156-1
Norfolk565220383
Peterborough50821113611
Southend-on-Sea6731693169
Suffolk7292661204
Thurrock45316523610
London26,9682,707673
Inner London12,6272,264677
Camden83126610415
City of London251815
Hackney1,01489693
Hammersmith and Fulham5582275317
Haringey4144792116
Islington798-9663-4
Kensington and Chelsea347-18264-15
Lambeth1,65635511313
Lewisham1,4481011033
Newham1,827188905
Southwark1,1703305311
Tower Hamlets29987133
Wandsworth1,364175846
Westminster89923912416
Outer London14,341443661
Barking and Dagenham412-9731-4
Barnet363130184
Bexley1,156-87108-3
Brent847-6249-2
Bromley5682315317
Croydon980172644
Ealing506-12619-3
Enfield1,15830310410
Greenwich584-14930-5
Harrow514711143
Havering1,364-97304-4
Hillingdon1,372682452
Hounslow551-6935-3
Kingston upon Thames195114227
Merton180-12511-6
Redbridge1,75240925514
Richmond upon Thames1613137
Sutton301-10493-5
Waltham Forest1,521-271161-9
South-east16,3585,3621546
Bracknell Forest664-207304-13
Brighton and Hove1,3151192925
Buckinghamshire5973971007
East Sussex768154823
Hampshire1,2451,45111411
Isle of Wight48713142410
Kent7801,138518
Medway2,2162697049
Milton Keynes28631981
Oxfordshire4679610
Portsmouth1,15046267223
Reading663-76260-4
Slough778963376
Southampton1,4841627588
Surrey2,4917041206
West Berkshire137-11558-7
West Sussex609625948
Windsor and Maidenhead306-44136-3
Wokingham-8555-343
South-west13,7164,1761868
Bath and North East Somerset175143578
Bournemouth1,069358452
Bristol, City of1,067-23639-5
Cornwall(18)2,088722111
Devon9634641117
Dorset2033666710
Gloucestershire3,4242,3015,90337
North Somerset1391908710
Plymouth1,892-345524-12
Poole707265562
Somerset248200534
South Gloucestershire833692113
Swindon49020452310
Torbay74513649411
Wiltshire4242511975

(13) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools Census.

(14) Figures for LEAs that were re-organised in April 1997 were obtained by apportionment.

(15) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. Nursery Education Grant for three-year-olds was allocated to the 65 local education authorities in 1999–2000 and all LEAs in 2000–01.

(16) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.

(17) Summer term 1997.

(18) Includes Isles of Scilly

(19) Expressed as the difference between the numbers of children attending a provider in 2001 compared to 1997.

(20) Percentage change in the numbers of children attending a provider in 2001 compared to 1997.


12 Feb 2002 : Column 207W

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) three and (b) four- year-olds in St. Helens, South there are (i) with a full-time nursery place and (ii) without a full-time nursery place. [33697]

Margaret Hodge: The available information shows that there were 120 three-year-olds and 1,570 four-year- olds who took up full-time nursery education places in St. Helens local education authority area in January 2000.

My Department estimates that there are free part-time early education places available for all eligible four- year-olds in England. We are also committed to providing all three-year-olds, whose parents want one, with free part-time early years education places by September 2004.


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