Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 7:33 pm on 7 July 2025.
Lord Sentamu
Crossbench
7:33,
7 July 2025
I, too, welcome this Statement—it is a wonderful Statement. The Minister’s opening remarks give hope. I have a particular interest, as I have two grandchildren in Luton and one in Birmingham. The backdrop to Sure Start was that wonderful report that Robert Runcie published, called Faith in the City. The problems then were that residents faced social and economic decline, with poor housing on large estates, with unemployment and poverty and issues with education and policing. The call was that both church and government and everybody should be doing something about this. Sure Start was an inspired vision, and I for one want to say that, whatever anybody says, it worked. But in order that children are not failed from when they begin, are the Government going to take on those great hindrances to learning and well-being that we see particularly in the inner cities?
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