Children’s Centres: Hertfordshire

Mike Penning
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 204W, on children's centres: Hertfordshire, how many proposed centres planned to open by that date were not operational on that date.

Dawn Primarolo
At the end of September 2009 Hertfordshire local authority had a total of 55 designated Sure Start Children's Centres, with a further 27 planned to be designated by March 2010, in order to provide universal coverage of children's centre services for children under five and their families. Of the 55 designated centres, seven are located in Hemel Hempstead and six in Dacorum. All centres due for designation were designated and have been in operation since September 2009 as planned.