Helen Liddell, the Education Minister, on Monday announced allocations for all local authorities, emphasising that virtually all the additional cash should be directed towards in-service training across the sectors.

Councils have already been told to enter into partnerships to ensure places for all four-year-olds this winter. All three-year-olds should have places by 2002.

Mrs Liddell stressed the bulk of the cash should be for training but said councils would be able to spend extra on their priorities.

Glasgow has the largest allocation with Pounds 434,000, followed by Edinburgh with Pounds 287,000, North Lanarkshire with Pounds 237,000, and South Lanarkshire with Pounds 211,000. Orkney receives Pounds 13,000. Funds were allocated according to the number of four-year-olds.