To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on Sure Start funding in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

Like many other areas of the country, young children and their families in Morecambe and Lunesdale have benefited from significant Sure Start funding since 2001. There is one Sure Start local programme in Morecambe and Lunesdale (Sure Start North Lancaster). This programme received a revenue grant of £794,303 in 2004–05. It has an indicative revenue allocation of £814,161 for 2005–06 and for 2006–07. The programme has had £960,000 of its £1,000,000 capital allocation approved for specific projects in the area.

Evidence from local evaluation shows that a six-week breastfeeding peer supporters training programme was put in place for women living in the Sure Start area. five of eight women initially participating completed the course and were presented with a certificate of achievement. A second training programme held in October 2003, with women from a wider geographical area, resulted in 10 women successfully completing the course. The Baby Club started in March 2002 as a means to identifying clients with, or at risk o developing post natal illness. Between 1 January 2002 and 1 August 2004, over 3,000 visits to the Baby Club were made by parents and 3,200 by babies. In 2004 weekly attendance averaged at 18 parents and their babies.

The programme has also put together a comprehensive volunteer policy and developed an induction and training programme to help volunteers develop their skills and build awareness of community issues such as cultural diversity and child protection. Once basic training is completed (and CRB clearance has been gained) volunteers can move into work experience placements within any area of Sure Start's work. Volunteers have work shadowed midwifery, health and childcare colleagues and others have completed individual community based projects. 13 volunteers have completed the in-house programme, as well as parents on the management and partnership boards. Many have moved on to FE such as Pre-School Diploma and Access to Higher Education, while others have pursued training in job search techniques or employment.

Lancashire county council has a planned children's centre reach of 16,629 children under the age of five by March 2006. It is developing two children's centres in the Morecambe and Lunesdale area, creating 82 new integrated early education and care places. Sure Start North Lancaster is one of the two children's centres and has been allocated indicative revenue funding of £175,496 for 2005–06. It will deliver 71 integrated early education and care places by March 2006; 41 of which will be new children's centre funded places. The centre will reach children and families in the wards of Skerton East, Skerton Central, Skerton West and part of Bulk. An indicative children's centre capital allocation of £400,000 has been made available to the Ridge Primary School which will link to the North Lancaster children's centre and deliver further outreach services and integrated early education and care as part of the core offer. The centre is expected to be designated by April 2005.

The other children's centre is being developed in the Poulton ward based on a former Social Services Family Centre site. Lancashire county council have allocated indicative children's centre revenue of £317,134 and indicative children's centre capital of £1,000,000 to this centre which is expected to be designated by March 2006. This centre will create 41 new integrated early education and care children's centre funded places.

Lancashire county council has also developed two neighbourhood nursery projects in the Morecambe and Lunesdale area delivering a total of 57 new early education and childcare places. Sure Start has made available revenue funding of £284,215 and £23,505 capital grant in total to Lancashire County Council for these two projects.