To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent from the public purse on each Sure Start centre in each parliamentary constituency in the Lancashire County Council area in each year since the scheme's inception. (282073)

Sure Start local programmes (SSLPs), the forerunner of Sure Start children's centres, were introduced in waves from 1999-2000. By 2003-04 there were 17 SSLPs operating in Lancashire.

From 2006-07, to reflect SSLPs transition to children's centres, the SSLP Grant was paid to local authorities together with children's centre funding as part of the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant (formerly the General Sure Start Grant). Under the terms and conditions of that grant, local authorities have a degree of freedom in the allocation and use of the funding provided to best meet their local objectives. Furthermore, in an effort to reduce the monitoring burden the Department only requires them to report expenditure at a local level, rather than by individual children's centre. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown of expenditure by individual SSLP or children's centre.

The following tables set out total expenditure on all SSLPs and children's centres in Lancashire for each financial year since programme inception.