Prime Minister's question asked in the House of Commons, by Neil Turner (Labour). It was answered on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Engagements

Question: Wigan has 19 Sure Start centres. Beech Hill primary school is following Westfield, Woodfield and Canon Sharples schools in being rebuilt, and all our secondary schools are being rebuilt through the Building Schools for the Future programme. Can my right hon. Friend guarantee that any Government led by him will continue to invest in our children, the citizens of my constituency and our country?

Answer: I can tell the House that we have now built 3,400 Sure Start children's centres. There were none in 1997, but now there are five or six in every constituency in England. Three and four-year-olds are now entitled to a free part-time early education place. If the Conservative party persists in its policy of cutting Sure Start children's centres to serve a minority of children, millions of children will lose out on early education and the whole country will suffer.

Secondary information