Written question asked by Glenda Jackson (Labour) on Tuesday, 1 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 December 2009. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 December 2009 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Children: Day Care

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children attend (a) Sure Start facilities and (b) children's centres in Hampstead and Highgate constituency; and how much such facilities cost in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Answer: The first Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) were set up in 1999-2000. Sure Start Children's Centres were introduced from 2003-04. All former SSLPs have now become Sure Start Children's Centres.Camden local authority has 17 Sure Start Children's Centres reaching a total of over 10,600 under fives and their families. Of these six children's centres are in the Hampstead and Highgate constituency reaching a total of around 3,500 under fives and their families.The latest year for which we have an audited spend is 2007-08 for which Camden local authority spent a total of 6,267,295. The allocations for Sure Start Children's Centres revenue and capital are included within the wider Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant Main Revenue and Main Capital funding respectively. Funding in these blocks is not ring fenced and the authority has the freedom to decide how much to spend on each area supported by the grant, in line with local priorities.

Secondary information