To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of funding for Sure Start (a) children’s centres and (b) local programmes has been retained by each local authority in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what the total (i) revenue and (ii) capital allocation was in each case. (290452)

Local authorities do not retain unspent allocation of the Sure Start, early years and childcare grant (SSEYCG). The Department claws back any unspent allocation of revenue following receipt of audited statements of expenditure. The Department also does this for capital allocations but offers carry-forward of unspent capital each year until the end of March 2011 (2010-11 financial year).

The information requested has been placed in the Libraries. The Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP) and children’s centres allocations for each local authority for the last three years are given in table 1. The spend by local authorities for the last three years for which figures are available are given in table 2.