education chiefs in Hampshire today welcomed a multi-millionpound boost for nursery education, adult literacy and school buildings from education secretary David Blunkett.

All three-year-olds whose parents want it will be guaranteed free nursery places by September 2004, at a cost of £2 billion, Mr Blunkett told delegates at the Labour party conference in Brighton yesterday.

And £7.8 billion - including around £6 billion of new money - will go towards refurbishing more than 7,000 schools and the complete transformation or rebuilding of 650 schools in England. He also announced an extra £150 million for adult education, saying Labour would make cutting the number of illiterate adults - estimated to be around seven million - a priority if it won the next election.

Hampshire's assistant county education officer Roger Mead said: "We are calling on the government to recognise the special circumstances in Hampshire of upgrading system-built schools. We welcome news that free nursery places for three-year-olds will be extended."

June Bridle, Southampton's chairwoman of education, said: "We are delighted the government is investing in the education of pre-school children.

"We will use any extra money for school buildings to address health and safety issues."

The government this year provided Southampton with funding for free pre-school places for 73 per cent of three-year-olds in the city. Hampshire received funding for 4,295 three-year-olds.

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