Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Adrian Bailey and Sarah Teather

Monday 3rd September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Teather]

This issue about paying a retainer to child minders is, again, symptomatic of the difficulty some families face in some areas in accessing holiday child care, and it is precisely why the commission is looking at this issue.

[Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op)]

5. What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Adrian Bailey and Sarah Teather

Monday 17th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op)]

10. What assessment he has made of reductions in the budgets for Sure Start children’s centres in the financial year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

[The Minister of State, Department for Education (Sarah Teather)]

There was no reduction in revenue funding for Sure Start children’s centres in 2010-11. From April 2011, funding for children’s centres is included within the early intervention grant. It is for local authorities to decide how to use that funding, taking account of their statutory duties and local needs.

[Mr Bailey]

I thank the Minister for her reply. The changes to the funding streams for Sure Start amount to a slashing of expenditure of around 22% nationally and 25% in my local authority of Sandwell, and the removal of the ring-fencing condition gives local authorities the opportunity to plug their gaps in other services with Sure Start funding. Will the Minister undertake to conduct a full assessment and monitor the impact of those cuts on Sure Start centres in future?