News story

21st December 2000

REACTION TO PRE-SCHOOL FUNDING REFUSAL

Northavon MP Steve Webb has said that he was “dismayed” to learn from the Department for Education that it had turned down a bid by Marshfield pre-school for a grant towards the costs of new premises on the site of the new Marshfield primary school.   The pre-school had asked for a contribution of £25,000 towards the estimated £85,000 cost of adding a room at the school which would give the pre-school permanent dedicated premises.   At present the group uses the Community Centre which is shared with other users and which means that all of the equipment which is used has to be unpacked and packed away at the start and end of every session.

The bid was one of a large number received by the DfEE from pre-school groups around the country, and had been supported in writing by Steve Webb, but only a small proportion were successful.   By undertaking the building works at the same time as the school construction works were still underway, it was hoped that the pre-school facility could be built at a much lower cost than if the same work was undertaken as a separate exercise.

Commenting on the decision, Steve Webb said:

“I am bitterly disappointed that the Government has turned down this very worthwhile bid from Marshfield pre-school.    Serious questions must be asked about a process which encourages large numbers of pre-schools to spend a lot of time and effort in preparing bids when the Government knows that most will be unsuccessful.   I will certainly be challenging the Government about this highly arbitrary and unsatisfactory way of allocating funds.   Despite this setback, however, I hope that Marshfield pre-school will press on with their plans and that alternative sources of funding can be found”.

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