Orders of the Day — Nursery Education and Grant-Maintained Schools Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 5:14 pm on 22 January 1996.

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Photo of Mr Nigel Spearing Mr Nigel Spearing , Newham South 5:14, 22 January 1996

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for giving way—it was indeed me who beat him and took a seat away from him.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the only parental choice worth having in education is that between equivalence of excellence? That, alas, we do not have. Does he agree that a nursery voucher is not for nursery education as we know it today, as provided by local education authorities such as Newham and Solihull, but a voucher for a form of pre-school activity provided by a number of different providers? Because of the withdrawal of the standards of accommodation, and probably the standards of training for qualified nursery teachers, the voucher will not be for nursery education as we know it today and it is a con if those words are used.