HC Deb 17 February 2000 vol 344 cc656-7W
32. Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the sure start programme. [109163]

Yvette Cooper

Forty-seven of the 60 trailblazer programmes in England have now been approved and are starting to help children. The remaining 13 will follow shortly. In November 1999 we launched the second wave of Sure Start by inviting a further 69 areas to start work to develop local programmes. All of these are now working on drawing up outline plans. My Ministerial colleagues in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland have responsibility for implementing Sure Start in their areas of responsibility.