The Laing and Buisson survey of more than 700 daycare nurseries across the UK found that while capacity rose 16 per cent in the year to January 2003, demand fell by 9 per cent, leaving a vacancy rate of 13.5 per cent.
Although the number of registered places rose from 390,500 to 453,000, places have not been filled quickly, with the number of children attending both full- and part-time falling from 446,400 to 408,000.
The final results of the survey are not expected to be published until next month, but Laing and Buisson economist Philip Blackburn said he expected that 'the trend will be the same'.
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