What recent assessment he has made of the progress of the Sure Start programme.

In March this year my Department published the latest findings from our rigorous national Sure Start evaluation. The report highlighted that living in a Sure Start local programme area is associated with a number of positive outcomes. Children living in those areas exhibited more positive social behaviour and greater independence and self-regulation, while parents made greater use of support services, exhibited less negative parenting and provided a better home learning environment.

Some childminders say that they want to provide home from home care but that they do not want to get completely bogged down in paperwork. What would the Minister say to them about that?

That is rather remote from a question on Sure Start programmes, but none the less I shall try to make the links for the hon. Gentleman. It is very important that whatever setting a child is in—whether they are with a childminder, in a Sure Start centre, in a nursery, in a maintained school or in the reception class—parents and children can be assured of the highest- quality provision. That is why, through the early years foundation stage and a number of other measures, which include a great deal more training for childminders and the establishment of local childminding networks, we are supporting all childminders in doing what the best childminders are already doing—providing a caring but positive learning environment for young children.

With new children's centres shortly opening in my Constituency, may I say how much I welcome the Government's investment in Sure Start, even though, sadly, the Conservative local authority is always quick to claim the credit for the investment from the Government? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the mainstreaming of Sure Start, although it is to be welcomed in many ways, has led to some concern about a marginalisation of the role of the voluntary sector and parents? Will she look again at the guidance to local authorities on Sure Start to ensure that parents and voluntary organisations are in the leading position and are steering Sure Start delivery?

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. She is quite right about some Conservative councillors. Indeed, some Conservative Members are still rather ambivalent about Sure Start. I was hoping to get the opportunity to thank Mr. Holloway for the praise for Sure Start on his website, which I welcome very much. As my hon. Friend said, some councils are quick to claim the credit although they are not necessarily supportive in practice.

I have made it clear that I want all local authorities to work closely with the voluntary sector. I am pleased to say that about 74 per cent. of children's centres involve the voluntary sector in some way. We think that about 58 per cent. of centres have their child care provision run by the voluntary sector. Some local authorities, at least, are paying heed to that. I want to see more, because I think that the voluntary sector has an important role to play.

Sure Start should be uniquely placed to help to support our country's most deprived children. That is why the Opposition support it. The Government's new departmental report, which perhaps has slightly more up-to-date information than that referred to by the Minister, shows that after spending £10 billion they have completely failed to reduce the achievement gap endured by children in the most deprived areas. Does the Minister not agree that Sure Start has to start delivering for the families and children who are most in need? Will she start by agreeing that outreach should be led by health visitors and reverse her announcement about cutting outreach levels in the most deprived areas by a third?

We have been around this course before with the hon. Lady, and she is completely wrong. We have doubled the funding to ensure that in disadvantaged areas there will be two outreach workers in every children's centre. We are also revising and publishing guidance, because there is a great lack of clarity about what outreach should be and how best to provide it. Some health visitors provide it very well, but there is a role for other people to do that outreach work, particularly in the voluntary sector, as I have said. For many families—and particularly people who do not find it easy initially to take up services or be associated with them—there is less stigma attached to a voluntary sector worker visiting their home and trying to encourage them to join in.

We are absolutely determined that the Sure Start programme should make the most difference to the most disadvantaged children. That is why we have given local authorities the duty to close the gap to which the hon. Lady referred. I hope that she will support us when we ask local authorities to collect data on what is happening with young children, to support the early years foundation stage. That is how we will make the necessary difference for the most disadvantaged children.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend and the Government on the improvements that are clearly coming through as a result of Sure Start. Does she agree that much of that improvement is down to more systematic and rigorous Intervention with the most disadvantaged, so that they are brought to a level at which they really do stand a chance? Will she perhaps outline to the House just how the Government intend to develop that progress and roll it out in future?

I agree completely with my right hon. Friend, who has done much to promote services for the youngest children, children generally and families. The Sure Start programme is just one of an array of measures. As she rightly says, the focus has to be on early Intervention and prevention, so that we not only provide an excellent quality of environment for the child, but work closely with parents to help them improve their parenting skills—that includes fathers as well as mothers. Those are all ways in which we want to develop the Sure Start programme progressively over time, making sure that quality, outreach, support for parents and improving parenting skills are part of an early intervention approach.