Anne Speaks in HoC Debate about Social Policy | |
Anne Spoke 11th July 2007 in a Commons Debate on Social PolicyEdited text from Anne’s speech: “Extra Government funding for children—for every child—makes a huge difference. Government funding is helping us to realise the dream that every child should get the best start in life and the support that they need to make the most of their talents. Yesterday, there was a community cohesion meeting at the Drove campus in my constituency. The campus includes Drove primary school, Drove children’s centre and Drove social hall and it is a shining example of what can be done with Government funding. I hope that a Minister will visit the Drove centre to see the great work being done by Nick Capstick and his team. Solutions come from the local community, not from national Government. National Government provide the resources and set the framework, but local people must find solutions to their local problems. Swindon has a good reputation for community cohesion, but there are tensions—as there are in all our towns and cities. Children and young people from the black and minority ethnic community need to know that the authorities will provide them with support, development and safety. In a briefing paper prepared for yesterday’s meeting, one young person was quoted as saying: “The council don’t invest in us, why would we invest in Swindon?” It is true that the council could do a great deal more for young people and adopt a more proactive stance on community cohesion. I hope that the council will look at what Nick is doing at the Drove centre and work with him. Because of Government funding, children’s centres such as the Drove centre exist and are starting to have the resources they need to reach out to the whole community. Nick Capstick of the Drove campus says that he is grateful for the resources given to him for children’s centres, but that there is a case for improved, targeted and additional funding, above and beyond the usual children’s centre funding, from which hard-to-reach communities could benefit. He asks me to congratulate Ministers and the Government on his behalf for what they have done so far, but calls for even greater vision in developing bespoke solutions for certain communities. When we make change, we need to do so in a considered and costed way, so that local economies can continue to grow and create opportunities for all our society.” The Minister replied, making reference to Drove Campus. | |
