§ Mr. SimmondsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of children's information services. [171304]
§ Margaret HodgeFigures provided by CISs for 2003 showed that they are dealing with almost 24,000 inquiries per week—over a million per year.
Although parents' surveys have suggested low usage, it appears that many parents may not necessarily be aware that they are being helped by CISs, which are often seen as being part of the host organisation e.g. the local authority or voluntary organisation involved.
295WCISs services are aimed at anyone seeking childcare or other Sure Start services, but there is a strong emphasis on reaching people without existing networks of contacts through outreach work with groups who find it hard to access childcare services.
The CIS Strategy, published in November 2003, sets out clear delivery standards and requires CISs to work toward achieving "model CIS" status by 2006. All CISs have been set targets for further improving numbers of weekly inquiries by 2006.