§ Mr. DobbinTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent progress has been made on the Sure Start projects introduced to date. [113174]
§ Yvette CooperI have been asked to reply.
Of the 60 Sure Start trailblazer programmes that were announced in January 1999, 53 have now received approval and are now starting to help young children and their families. The remaining seven 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. This brings the number of Sure Start programmes so far announced to 129.
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of poor children will be covered by the Sure Start programme when the roll-out is complete. [113783]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 9 March 2000]: I have been asked to reply.
Sure Start are committed to establishing 250 local Sure Start programmes in areas of disadvantage by March 2002. On the basis of the 60 Sure Start trailblazers now in place, it is estimated that when fully rolled-out the programme will cover 18 per cent. of children under four in England living in households in receipt of income-based benefits.