MP David Wright’s warning over cuts to children’s services
Monday 7th March 2011, 7:23PM GMT.
Cuts to children’s services in Telford will run 20 per cent deeper than the national average, the town’s MP David Wright claimed today.
He said funding for services like Sure Start and childcare would be slashed by £60 per child in 2012.
And he said central government cuts to the Early Intervention Grant (EIG) could lead to Sure Start centres across the area being forced to close – claims denied by Telford & Wrekin Council bosses today.
But Mr Wright called for council chiefs to do more to protect children’s services.
He said: “Of course all services need to look to be more efficient but cuts which go too far and too fast could mean poorer services for children and families in Telford.
“It could even lead to a loss of some Sure Start centres.
“The local council were asked at council meetings to lobby central government for more funding — something they refused to do.
“Sure Start centres provide real help to thousands of children and parents across Telford and it would be a real tragedy if some of them were forced to close when they have just begun to pay real dividends.”
Sure Start was launched by Labour with the aim of “giving children the best possible start in life” through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support.
Councillor Stephen Burrell, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The council has no plans to make any cuts to the funding for Sure Start and will not be closing any centres.”
The figures released by central government show Shropshire Council’s EIG will be cut by £40 per child, £10 under the national average and £20 less than Telford.
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More labour propaganda, isn’t the world a terrible place when grown ups take responsibilty for paying off labours’ debt.
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Closing the poverty gap in action
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If Mr Wrights party hadn’t screwed up the country’s finances we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
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The Rent a Mob Tories/Lib Dems come out to attack this. Defcit reduction is a major problem – however, why reduce budgets for children? Why not tax more? reduce spend on weapons etc.?
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