PRE-SCHOOLS MATTER CAMPAIGN

Early day motion 1245, tabled 24 April 1998 by David Kidney (Labour). Signed by 74 members.

That this House warmly congratulates the Pre-School Learning Alliance on the excellence of the Pre-Schools Matter campaign and wishes all success for its national day of celebration planned for 6th May; takes notes of the long standing commitment of the pre-school movement to the education and care of young children, and to the support of families and communities; welcomes the Government's implicit recognition of the crucial importance of pre-school learning, not least in policies on Welfare to Work, Lifelong Learning, Social Exclusion and the National Childcare Strategy and explicit support for pre-schools; further welcomes the Government's commitment to finding solutions to social and economic problems through partnerships with the voluntary sector and other bodies; voices the concern of many people that despite such recognition and commitment, no less that 800 pre-schools were forced to close last year and a further 1,500 are threatened with closure this year; and therefore urges the Government to take concerted action to avert closures and ensure a wide and varied range of provision for pre-school learning.

Signatures by party: Labour 41, Conservative 13, Liberal Democrat 13, Labour/Co-operative 4, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1, Unknown 1.