MORE than a thousand three-year-olds are to be given free nursery places in Brighton and Hove thanks to a £100 million Government cash boost announced today.

The Department for Education and Employment says the money will double the number of free places available by the year 2002 by creating an extra 190,000 places nationally.

Brighton and Hove will receive the second- highest amount in the South East. A total of 1,046 new places will be created with a £1,213,360 award.

Education bosses say they will give the cash to the most deprived areas.

A Brighton and Hove Council spokesman said: "Brighton and Hove's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership will consider the best way to allocate the funding, which should lead to 66 per cent of all three-year-olds having a free nursery place."

Frieda Warman-Brown, executive councillor for Education, welcomed the news. She said: "This is great news for children and families in Brighton and Hove.

"We will now be able to work with the partnership to expand early education and care places."

East Sussex has been awarded £127,600, enough for 110 new places, while West Sussex has scooped £189,080, sufficient to provide a further 163 free nursery places.

The department expects the cash to go mainly to private and voluntary sector playgroups in areas where the need is greatest, in line with a new report also published today called Tomorrow's Children.

The Government report calls for pre-schools and playgroups to play a greater role in early education.

Margaret Hodge, minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, said: "The increase will mean that in 2000-01 over 50 per cent of three-year-olds will be entitled to a free early education place.

"We are well on our way to achieving

our aim of doubling the number of free places for three-year-olds.

"Over 80 per cent of the free places created in September are provided by the private and voluntary sectors and we expect to see them continuing to play a key role when all local partnerships

benefit from this new money from next April.

"The Government is working closely with practitioners to ensure that the places we are creating will meet all the needs of the children - educational, physical and social."

The biggest award in the South East went to Southampton, which received £1,831,640 for 1,579 new places.

Ingrid Boyd owns and runs Young Sussex, a group of three nurseries in Brighton, Hove and Shoreham, which cares for 70 three-year-olds.

She said: "It's great news. This money will help parents send their three-year-olds to nursery schools when they may not otherwise be able to do so.

"Children who go to nursery schools definitely benefit both educationally and socially.

"Research shows that children who have had a good nursery education tend to settle into school much better. "

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