LANCASHIRE County Council have revealed that spending for nursery education in the North West will increase by over £1 million in the coming academic year.
Funding will increase by 2.5 per cent on last year's levels to £1,278 per child per annum or £426 per term for 2004/05.
The budget for part-time places has been increased to reflect the increased take-up of places by three year-old pupils.
The report shows that three and four-year-olds in Lancashire will have a total of £12,094,000 spent on them from April 1 this year, an increase of £1,359,000 on the 2003/04 provision.
Since April 1999 Lancashire has had a statutory responsibility to ensure that a free part-time pre-school nursery education place is available for all four-year-old children whose parents want one.
Also in 1999 the Government announced its intention that by September 2004 this provision would be extended to all three-year-old children.
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