§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is of the early excellence centres under her Department's pilot programme; and what assessment she has made of their value for money. [14101]
§ Mr. TimmsOn 27 February we announced a major expansion of the Early Excellence Centre (EEC) programme, taking it out of its pilot phase, with plans to reach up to 100 centres by 2004. Funding for Early Excellence Centres comes from local sources, usually the local education authority, and through childcare and nursery education grants. The EEC programme typically provides additional resource to support a range of 51W supplementary activities in line with the programme aims of disseminating good practice, delivering training and extending the scope and penetration of family services. So far, our contribution to EECs has been:
£ Year Amount 1997–98 123,000 1998–99 1,800,000 1999–2000 3,700,000 2000–01 6,200,000 We plan further investment of:
£ million Year Amount 2001–02 13 2002–03 16 2003–04 18 The programme is being evaluated and we have published the first of three annual reports on the pilot phase. This shows that EECs have the potential for enhanced cost savings when compared with services that might otherwise have been provided separately. There is also powerful evidence demonstrating that EECs have made a positive difference to the lives of the children and families who use them, and affirming their role in supporting strategies for raising standards, increasing opportunities, supporting families, reducing social exclusion, increasing the health of the nation and addressing child poverty. The second year report is due to be published next spring.