South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon has called for Sure Start Children’s Centres to be given more financial security, after a new report finds that as late as October 2006, a third of Sure Start centres still could not fix their 2006-07 budget. Mr Bacon was speaking as the National Audit Office (NAO) published its report into Sure Start Children’s Centres.

Sure Start centres offer a range of pre-school services for children and families, including early education, healthcare and support services.  The NAO visited centres in the fourth quarter of the 2005-06 financial year and found that one third of the centres had not agreed or been allocated their 2006-07 budget, and could not provide a forecast for the next financial year.

Mr Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, said today:

“These services are making a difference to the lives of parents, particularly in deprived areas.  However, it is worrying that, as late as October 2006, a third of Sure Start centres had still not agreed their budget for the next financial year”. 

“Such uncertainty can only damage the good work Sure Start centres are doing.  Managers cannot plan services for the next year or meet their staffing needs if they do not know how much money they will have to do it.  I urge ministers to make sure that Sure Start centres know what their budgets will be well in advance”.

19 December 2006