Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nursery places have been available in (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, (b) Tower Hamlets, (c) London and (d) England in each year since 2010.

I have asked Ofsted to respond using the data they hold on registered nursery places. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, will write to the hon. Member, and a copy of his response will be placed in the House Libraries.

Some providers such as schools with nursery provision for children aged three or over are exempt from registration. The number of places therefore may not include the full range of early years provision available in the area.

The Department for Education’s Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey[1] collects data on all registered childcare places, including those in maintained schools and nurseries. These figures are therefore more comprehensive than the Ofsted figures; however data is only available at a national and regional level.

The attached table provides data for 2010, 2011 and 2013 for England and London. Data is not available for 2012.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2013