To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the effects of the Sure Start programme in Weymouth and Portland.

The Weymouth and Portland Sure Start local programme was approved in 2002 and supports around 800 children and their families living in Littlemoor, Melcome Regis, Westham and Underhill wards. The programme has been allocated a total of £2,306,719 revenue funding and £1,000,000 capital funding from its inception up to the end of 2005/06.

The programme delivers a wide range of services to support local families including: occupational therapy, counselling services, health and social services, respite care for parents, individual support for children identified as needing developmental help and training in both parenting skills and basic education.

Since opening, Sure Start Weymouth and Portland has helped improve the quality of life for local families. All new parents are contacted within the first two months of the birth of their baby by a qualified Sure Start project worker. The percentage of children identified with speech and language development delay has been found to be much higher than the national average (37 per cent. as opposed to the national 20 per cent.) and these children and their parents are now provided with one-to-one help both at home and through support when they attend pre-school. Local schools and parents are beginning to report much better levels of overall development, including speech and language development, when children go on to full time education.

Local health visitors advise the local programme of all women identified with post natal depression. These women are offered a range of help, depending on their needs, either from local health services or from the Sure Start Local Programme which can include one-to-one support.

Recent Sure Start Unit monitoring reports show that the programme is in contact with 544 of the 794 children in their area. The programme has strong parental participation both in the management board, which has 10 parent representatives (up from three since 2000); and in activities where parents act as volunteers, including two parents who are involved in local evaluation of the programme with Bournemouth University.