To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the performance of the Sure Start programme in West Lancashire in reaching new families and children in the relevant local area. (83636)

There are three Sure Start children's centres up and running in West Lancashire offering services to 1,037 children under five and their families including 217 childcare places. We do not currently collect data on the number of families and children accessing children's centre services.

One of the Sure Start Children's centres in the West Lancashire constituency was based on the Tanhouse and Digmoor Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP) and data returns provided by the SSLP show the following information. The programme offers services to 520 children under four and their families. Between July 2002 and June 2003 the SSLP submitted monthly data returns reporting significant contact (that is, a home visit or attendance at a centre-based activity) with 200¹ new children. Between July 2003 and December 2004 the SSLP reported significant contact with an additional 75² children.

Source:

¹ Sure Start Local Programme data returns July 2002 to June 2003.

² Source: Sure Start Local Programme data returns July 2003 to December 2004. During this period data was collected quarterly and the figure records only new children seen in the months in which returns were submitted.