25/09/2012

Coalition Pledge £100m For Free Childcare

Councils in England are to get £100m from the government to help meet its promise of providing free nursery places for 100,000 two-year-olds.

The money comes as the coalition has pledged to create the care for the poorest two-fifths of households by 2014.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the money, found from underspending in government, would mean a "revolution in early education".

The £100m is intended to go into capital spending, such as converting part of an existing building into extra nursery space, but councils will not be told how to spend the money.

A Lib Dem spokesman said councils would have a legal obligation to ensure provision of places in their area.

He added: "What we are looking at doing is the equivalent of creating an extra 200 primary schools."

(H)


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