Children's Fund Budget

HC Deb 17 December 2001 vol 377 c65W

Mr. Woodward

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Children's Fund budget for 2001–02 will be spent on, broken down into categories. [22493]

Mr. Denham

The Children's Fund consists of two distinct elements: local partnerships of public agencies and the voluntary sector to provide preventive services for children at risk aged 5–13; and the Local Network Fund which provides small grants to local voluntary organisations to address child poverty at all ages, 0–19.

The Children's Fund budget of £100 million for 2001–02 has been allocated as follows: Preventive services through local partnerships, including evaluation costs: £80 million Local Network Fund, including evaluation: £10 million National support, including partnership support and development, initiatives for children and young people and the costs of the Children and Young People's Unit: £10 million.

It is for local partnerships to determine their expenditure on individual services from their allocation in accordance with their local strategies for preventive services for children based on guidelines issued by the Children and Young People's Unit.