§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the effects of Sure Start programmes on children's health. [83166]
§ Maria EagleI have been asked to reply.
Sure Start is expected to have a positive impact on children's health in their early years of life and throughout childhood into adulthood.
Sure Start programmes work to improve children's health by working with existing statutory and voluntary agencies to provide a wide range of health related support and advice to parents and parents to be. This includes: diet and nutrition advice; smoking cessation; preparation for parenthood classes; enhanced maternity and health visiting services; child health and development information; identification of and support to mothers with post-natal depression; breastfeeding support; parenting support and advice; early identification of special needs and support to families with children with special needs along with a wide range of practical, social and specialist support to improve parents' social and emotional health.
Comprehensive monitoring and evaluation processes are in place to assess the impact of Sure Start on a wide range of child health outcomes. At present it is too early to assess the impact of Sure Start on such outcomes but information on this will become available over the next 12–18 months.
One of Sure Start's PSA objectives is concerned with improving children's health and progress towards this is reported annually in the DfES Annual Report.
Recruitment to courses of initial teacher training and employment based initial teacher training programmes in England in 2001–02 Postgraduate ITT recruitment Undergraduate ITT recruitment Total ITT recruitment GTP recruitment KTP recruitment OTT recruitment Total ITT and EBR recruitment Primary 6,749 6,385 13,135 1,213 118 415 14,881 Secondary Mathematics 1,409 150 1,559 218 6 85 1,868 English and drama 2,119 128 2,247 374 4 142 2,767 Science 2,464 150 2,614 375 5 94 3,088 Modern foreign languages 1,699 16 1,715 261 1 23 2,000 Total technology 1,774 387 2,161 420 17 57 2,655 History 933 0 933 70 1 15 1,019 Geography 1,024 11 1,035 37 1 11 1,084 Physical education 764 566 1,330 88 1 30 1,499 Art 843 0 843 59 0 5 907 Music 627 29 656 44 0 18 718 Religious education 581 7 588 25 1 6 620 Citizenship 147 0 147 0 0 0 147 Other 231 0 231 60 10 20 321 Secondary total 4,615 1,444 16,059 2,031 47 506 18,643 Grand total 21,364 7,830 29,194 3,244 165 921 33,524 Source:
Teacher training agency