Neil Puffett



Councils are spending the equivalent of nearly £1bn less on children's services than they were in 2012, Labour has warned.

Analysis by the party found that while the headline fall in spending between 2012 and 2017 comes to £300m, dropping from £7.92bn to £7.61bn, the real-terms decrease, taking into account inflation, comes to £956.9m.



Details of the reduced spending levels come on the same day that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow education secretary Angela Rayner are due to make a visit to Swindon where all Sure Start children's centres are being closed.



Rayner is also launching a consultation exercise on the party's proposals, which featured in last year's general election manifesto, for a National Education Service. Under the proposals, Labour wants to create a unified education service, providing "cradle-to-grave" learning that is free at the point of use.



Rayner said: "Children's services provide a lifeline to thousands of vulnerable children and families across the country, so it is incredibly worrying to see funding has fallen so dramatically in the past six years.



"The contrast between our two parties could not be clearer: today, Labour are launching a roadshow to help improve the lives of our youngest and most vulnerable children, whilst the Tories are presiding over damaging cuts, slashing support for the those that need help the most.



"Only Labour can be trusted to give every child the best start in life. Through our National Education Service we will invest in our children, halting the closures of Sure Start centres, increasing the amount of money available for children's services and providing universal childcare for every two- to four-year-old."

"Children's services provide a lifeline to thousands of vulnerable children and families across the country, so it is incredibly worrying to see funding has fallen so dramatically in the past six years." - @AngelaRayner https://t.co/VCKbC1rJzP — Labour Press Team (@labourpress) April 3, 2018



Last month children's minister Nadhim Zahawi said that government is assessing the financial state of children's services departments across England.



In January the Local Government Association warned that children could be left in circumstances of risk unless the government acts to plug an estimated £2bn funding gap. A separate study found that children's services are now the top financial pressure for councils.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "We want every child to receive high-quality care and support. Spending on the most vulnerable children ?has increased by around half a billion pounds since 2010, and overall the government has made more than £200bn available for council services up to 2020.



"On top of this we are working with councils to improve services and to share best practice across the country - and ?just last month the children and families minister announced £17m to support this."