§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of the local Sure Start programmes already(a) announced and (b) running, operate in rural areas. [110789]
§ Yvette CooperOf the 60 'trailblazer' and 69 Round 2 local authority districts announced to date as eligible for a local Sure Start programme, five can be classed as 'remoter mainly rural' (Boston, Fenland, Sedgemoor, Penwith and Kerrier). In addition, the trailblazer Sure Start programme in East Cleveland covers what is essentially a rural area, while a further seven districts are a mix of urban and rural, and coalfield areas (Isle of Wight, Easington, Wear Valley, Sedgefield, Derwentside, Ashfield, Bolsover). The trailblazer programmes in Fenland and East Cleveland are up and running now and Minsters hope to agree the programmes in Penwith and Sedgemoor soon. The remaining programmes are part of the second round and should be up and running by the summer.