To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children’s centres were operated by organisations other than the relevant local authority in each year since such centres were introduced. (223981)

Local authorities, working with their partners through children’s trust arrangements, are responsible for the delivery of the Sure Start Children’s Centres in their local area. However we encourage them to involve voluntary, private and independent organisations both in managing children’s centres and as service providers in order to harness the best of all sectors in delivering quality services for children. Information is not collected centrally on how many and what proportion of Sure Start Children’s Centres are run by organisations on behalf of local authorities.