The funding for services like Sure Start and childcare in Sunderland is being slashed by well above the national average, new figures have revealed this week.

Sunderland MP (Shadow Children’s Minister) Sharon Hodgson has been working with colleagues to analyse figures for the new Early Intervention Grant, which replaces 22 programmes including Sure Start, and found that Sunderland faces a real terms cut of £80 a year for every young person, compared to the national average of £50.

Over 3 years, the city will lose £13.5m (21.7%) in real terms – meaning it faces the 7^th highest cut in the country.

Mrs Hodgson said: “The Prime Minister made a personal promise to protect and build on Sure Start. Now we know that these were just hollow words and yet another broken promise to the families of Sunderland.

“Of course all services need to look to be more efficient, but cuts which go too far and too fast will mean poorer services for children and families in my area, and maybe even a loss of some Sure Start Centres. They provide real help to thousands of children and parents across the city, and it would be a real tragedy if some of them were forced to close when they have just begun to pay real dividends.

“Before the election David Cameron accused Labour of scaremongering when we pointed out that his plans would damage Sure Start; now the Tory-led government are forcing councils to do their dirty work for them.”

The House of Commons Library was asked how much funding would be available next year per child from the Early Intervention Grant, compared to the funding available this year.

Their figures showed:

•           On average across England, there will be central government funding cuts of £50 per child for ‘early intervention’ services like Sure Start and childcare

•           In some of the poorest areas including Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Knowsley, the cuts are at least £100 per child

•           In some wealthier areas including Richmond, Buckinghamshire, Wokingham and Surrey, the cuts will be £30 per child

•           Overall, funding for ‘early intervention’ services will be down by 22% next year

As Shadow Children’s Minister, Mrs Hodgson used a debate on Children’s Centres in the Commons on Wednesday (2^nd March) to blast the Government’s plans, and called on Ministers to reinstate the protection for Sure Start funding.

She also addressed a gathering of early years professionals and staff on Thursday (3^rd March) to rally support for a concerted national push against cuts and closures, telling the audience: “I will continue to fight them on this… but what we want and need to see is a really galvanised public campaign against what’s going on.”

Ends

Editor’s notes

1.     A full chart of real terms and cash cuts per child by Local Authority can be found in the accompanying spreadsheet.

2.     Further details on Sharon’s Common’s speech on Children’s Centres can be found on her website here: http://goo.gl/d3zb6

3.     Further details on Sharon’s speech at the Pen Green Centre in Corby can be found on her website here: http://goo.gl/YtHYj

4.     David Cameron promised he would protect and build on Sure Start: “Yes, we back Sure Start. It's a disgrace that Gordon Brown has been trying to frighten people about this” -  David Cameron, The Independent, 5 May 2010.

5.     A recent survey of Children’s Centre managers carried out by the Daycare Trust and 4Children found that in the next 12 months:

•     250 Centres (7%) will close or are expected to close, affecting an estimated 60,000 families.

•     2,000 (56%) will provide a reduced service.

•     3,100 (86%) will have a decreased budget.

•     Staff at 1,000 centres (28%) have been issued with ‘at risk of redundancy' notices

http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/pages/250-sure-start-childrens-centres-face-closure-within-a-year.html  

6.       Families with children are already losing out from the Tory-led government’s tax-benefit changes. This year alone on average, a single-earner couple with children will lose over £1,500 a year as a result of this government’s tax benefit changes implemented in January and April 2011 – more than twice the average loss of a single-earner couple without children - Institute for Fiscal Studies (2011) The IFS Green Budget London: Institute for Fiscal Studies, Figure 12.4 (cash figure equivalents supplied separately by the IFS).