Written question asked by John Battle (Labour) on Thursday, 1 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 December 2005. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Thursday, 8 December 2005 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

Sure Start

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children living in (a) Leeds and (b) Leeds West constituency are participating in Sure Start schemes.

Answer: There are eight Sure Start local programmes in Leeds reaching a total of 6,026 children under the age of four. Sure Start Seacroft covers 1,345 children; Sure Start Bramley covers 993 children; Sure Start Middleton covers 502 children; Sure Start Chapeltown covers 783 children; Sure Start Beeston Hill covers 905 children; Sure Start Burley covers 466 children; Sure Start Harehills covers 499 children and Sure Start Little London involves 533 children under four. All eight Sure Start local programmes are part of or are becoming children's centres. There are also 24 neighbourhood nurseries in Leeds providing 730 full day care places. 13 of these nurseries are involved in becoming children's centres.In 2004–06, Leeds planned to develop 25 children's centres reaching a total of 10,706 children under the age of five. 14 of these centres have been designated as children's centres by the Sure Start unit and eleven have received approval to proceed.Five of these children's centres are based within the Leeds West constituency serving a total of 2,450 children under five; two have been designated as children's centres. There are also two Sure Start local programmes within the constituency covering 1,458 children under four; both are part of children's centres. There are four neighbourhood nurseries based within Leeds West, offering a total of 147 full day care places.

Secondary information