Cuts to Brighton Sure Start budget halved after Whitehall error (From The Argus)

Cuts to Brighton Sure Start budget halved after Whitehall error

1:20pm Wednesday 18th August 2010 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

Planned cuts to children’s centres have been halved after a miscalculation by Whitehall bean counters.

Brighton and Hove City Council announced £300,000 would be slashed from its Sure Start budget after the Government’s in-year spending review in June.

But after a reassessment, the local authority has now revealed the figure has been reduced to £140,000.

Despite the £160,000 rebate, critics warned the cuts could still signal the end of the programme, which provides support to youngsters from birth until the age of four.

Labour councillor Pat Hawkes said: “Sure Start centres are one of the best things the former Government put in place.

“It is a small blessing the Government has u-turned under pressure and is making this latest cut smaller.

“But the amount being cut is still an outright attack on young people and families in the city.”

The recent cuts are in addition to £600,000 being taken out of children’s centre by the Conservative-run council’s budget in February.

A council spokesman said: “We are working hard to limit the impact of the funding reductions and are being open and honest about how we propose to make savings.

“We also hope to limit staff redundancies as much as we can through redeploying staff where this is possible.”