Sure Start

Education and Skills written question – answered at on 5 April 2005.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Colin Pickthall Mr Colin Pickthall PPS (Rt Hon Jack Straw, Secretary of State), Foreign & Commonwealth Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that the involvement of parents in children's centres builds on the experience of parents' involvement in Sure Start.

Photo of Margaret Hodge Margaret Hodge Minister of State (Education and Skills) (Children)

holding answer 16 March 2005

We are building on the successful experience of parents' involvement in Sure Start local programmes in a number of ways. Written guidance for local authorities and delivery partners emphasises the importance of parental involvement in the planning and implementation of children's centres. Parental involvement must be discussed with local authorities in planning discussions. A new Framework for Inspection of Children's Services will ensure that inspections assess how services involve children and parents. We are developing a mechanism for assessing the extent to which parents are involved in the design and delivery of children's centres services. And we will implement this when a greater number of parents have a children's centre planned in their area.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes3 people think so

No3 people think not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

holding answer

Parliamentary questions are conventionally answered within seven days of being lodged, or on a particular day for so-called "Named Day" questions. (Source: House of Commons Information Office, Factsheet P1, "Parliamentary Questions")

A holding answer may be issued by a Minister if, for whatever reason, a substantive or final answer to the question cannot be provided in the time available.