Sure Start (Hansard, 28 March 2001)

§ Helen Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for what reasons Warrington was not included in the most recent round of Sure Start projects; and what assessment was made of the levels of deprivation in Warrington, North prior to the decision being taken. [155458]

§ Yvette Cooper
Sure Start districts are identified on the basis of levels of need and deprivation. Once a district has been selected by the Government, it is for a partnership of local stakeholders within the district to choose the precise catchment area. To date 260 Sure Start areas over four waves have now been identified and invited to develop programmes.[...]Warrington was invited to develop a Sure Start programme as part of the third wave.
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In selecting districts for the fourth wave, an assessment of levels of deprivation and the number of existing Sure Start programmes in Warrington was made alongside assessments for other districts in England. Taking into account these factors, Warrington was not invited to develop a second programme at this stage.
As a result of the 2000 Spending Review, the number of Sure Start programmes will be increased to 500 by 2003–04 and will reach at least a third of poor children under four in England. The next 240 areas, although not yet decided, will be identified using similar criteria to those used previously, namely levels of deprivation and poverty. There is a possibility that Warrington may be selected for a further programme at some time in the future.

§ Sandra Gidley
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much Sure Start money has been allocated to the Romsey constituency. [155861]

§ Yvette Cooper
None. Sure Start targets children under four living in disadvantaged areas as part of the Government's drive to tackle poverty and social exclusion. Local authority districts are identified by the Government on the basis of their levels of need and deprivation and then invited to develop programmes. The Romsey constituency includes parts of the Test Valley, Eastleigh and Southampton districts. Test Valley and Eastleigh have not been selected for Sure Start. Southampton has been invited twice to develop Sure Start programmes, first in the Trailblazer wave and then, most recently, in the fourth wave. Following invitation, it is for local stakeholders within the district to choose the precise catchment area, and for both Southampton programmes the areas chosen are outside the Romsey constituency.
As a result of the 2000 Spending Review, the number of Sure Start programmes will be increased to 500 by 2003–04 and will reach at least a third of poor children under four in England. The next 240 areas, although not yet decided, will be identified using similar criteria to those used previously ie. levels of deprivation and poverty. In addition, small pockets of deprivation in otherwise generally affluent areas may be targeted.