Supporting Bolton's Sure Start Programme

Bolton's Sure Start children’s centre are key to strengthening family life, according to a leading Conservative MP.

Maria Miller, the shadow families minister, visited centres in Crompton, Oxford Grove and Leverhulme Park to see the good work which goes on.  Her visit, organised by Bolton North East parliamentary candidate Deborah Dunleavy, was to reassure parents that the Tories would not close the centres if they swept to power at the next General Election, despite Labour literature claiming otherwise.

Mrs Miller said: “The Sure Start Centres are at the very heart of our policies on strengthening families. We do want to see the investment in the centres work harder and raise awareness that they exist for more than just simple childcare.
“We want to provide more health workers as part of our policy and it was pleasing to see the centres in Bolton already engage health professionals in their work.”

Last month, Ms Dunleavy hit out at a leaflet circulated by Labour MP David Crausby which said the centres would be axed under a Tory government.