---

Business of the House

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the work that the Select Committee that he leads has been doing on Sure Start children's centres and the emphasis that it has put—for a long period of time—on early years. Not only are there clear educational benefits from good early-years provision, which is what Sure Start children's centres provide, but they are absolutely what parents want. They want to see their children happy, safe and developing well in the children's centres. On the conclusion of the Budget debate on Tuesday 30 March, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families will be speaking, and there will be an opportunity for hon. Members to speak in that debate or to intervene on the Secretary of State. However, I would say this to my hon. Friend: whatever the Conservatives say about Sure Start children's centres—especially in the run-up to an election—I would not trust them as far as I could throw them on the question of protecting children. When they were in Government, they did nothing for child care. They have all the way moaned that it is about political correctness and that it is undermining the traditional wife-at-home scenario. They have never supported this agenda, but they have been caught out because it is what the public want. The Conservatives cannot be trusted on this.