David Cameron’s cuts to Sure Start children’s centres would deal a devastating blow to families in the East Midlands who are on middle and modest incomes – that was the message from Labour’s Regional Minister, Phil Hope MP, as local ‘Save Our Sure Start’ campaigns against Tory plans to take £200 million from Sure Start were launched.

On the same day that Labour announced it has delivered on its pledge to build 3,500 Sure Start centres across England, campaigns across the East Midlands against Conservative plans to cut Sure Start for families on middle and modest incomes gathered pace with local campaigns and online at www.saveoursurestart.com.

Phil Hope MP, Regional Minister for the East Midlands said:

“There are hundreds of Sure Start centres here in the East Midlands and when I talk to local families, they make it very clear to me just how vital their Sure Start centre is to them. While Labour will guarantee that investment in Sure Start will continue to rise, there is a real risk that centres in the East Midlands, which have become so valuable to the community, would have to close under the Tories.

“That’s why I’m delighted to join families in the East Midlands in the Save Our Sure Start campaign. By taking Sure Start back to a time when it didn’t support families on middle and modest incomes, the Conservatives would return us to the failed old Tory polices of ghettoising support for the most vulnerable people.

“I am proud to fight this election on a commitment to protecting our Sure Start centres. Because a Sure Start centre for all families in the East Midlands, not just a few, is how we will build a future fair for all.”

Phil Hope, Labour’s Regional Minister for the East Midlands, said:

“I am delighted that many local dealerships here in the East Midlands have benefited from the scrappage scheme and that thousands of local people have had the opportunity to trade in their old car for a new, safer and more environmentally friendly model.

“In stark contrast to the Tories, Labour is committed to helping people through these difficult times. We know how important it is to keep the economy moving when times are tough and the scrappage scheme is doing just that.”

The scheme was introduced by the Chancellor in the Budget in April 2009 in a bid to provide a boost to local car dealerships during the recession by offering people £2,000 off the purchase price of a new car when trading in their old car which is over 10 years old. It proved to be so popular that it was extended with a further £100m funding in September 2009.

Labour’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ben Bradshaw MP said:

“The Labour government is working hard to support the FA’s bid for England to host the football World Cup in 2018. It would be great to see football coming home to Nottingham.”

For the next ten years, Britain will experience what the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has called a Golden Decade of Sport. Britain has already successfully bid to host the ATP Tennis World Tour finals, the Ryder Cup, the Football Champions’ League Final, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Rugby league World Cup, the Rugby Union World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Cricket World Cup.

In total 36 stalled housing projects, with over 1,900 homes, in the East Midlands could be set to benefit including Derby Road in Ripley, Halls Lane in Giltbrook, Monks Road in Lincoln and The Meadows in Sherwood. And with half of the short-listed homes set to be for affordable rent or sale, this will provide a welcome boost for first time buyers and prospective housing association tenants.

Phil Hope, Labour’s Regional Minister said following the announcement: “Labour knows that our construction industry has found it tough during these difficult economic times, but we are committed to doing all we can to help. This Kickstart scheme is there to do just that and I am delighted that some projects here in the East Midlands could soon be getting a boost to get back on track.

“And with certain conditions being imposed on the developers in return – such as half of the properties being made available for affordable housing and schemes for local employment and apprenticeships – it is not only the developer that benefits but local people could too.”

Making the announcement today, Labour’s Housing Minister, John Healey MP, said: “Today I am announcing a further 265 projects short-listed for a share of up to £550 million. This second round of Kickstart funding could build 22,400 homes, support 12,000 jobs, train as many as 1000 apprentices and build a further 11,000 affordable homes.

“We are using the power of Government investment to build homes and support jobs at a time when the house building industry needs it most.

“I’m making it a condition of getting this Government money that all builders offer recruitment of local people and apprenticeship schemes. This means opportunities for 1,000 extra apprentices. With this money we’re kickstarting stalled developments, supporting new jobs, training future generations of construction workers and building the quality homes we need.”

All the projects will now go through a rigorous final assessment by the Homes and Communities Agency to determine which will get the green light. As this funding is intended to support the house building industry when it needs it most Mr Healey has made it clear that one of the key factors will be the ability to complete the work by March 2012.

Commenting Labour’s Communities and Local Government Secretary, John Denham, told Labour Matters:

“Cameron says his councils are a blueprint for a Tory government. This is another Tory Town Hall hitting those who need local services and shows the Conservative Party hasn’t changed. It’s about the wealthy few not the majority.

“Tory Town Halls mirror Cameron’s plans for central government – do as little as possible, block the recovery, don’t build for the future, and cut at every opportunity.

“The Conservative are backing a ‘Ryanair model’ for services, where people have to pay twice, once in council tax and once again even for the very basics. It’s not for those on middle-incomes and those with little money. It’s for those who can afford to pay taxes and then pay again, not for those who want the right to decent services wherever they live and whatever they can afford.”

Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derby, Bolsover and Leicester councils will all receive a share of the £10 million fund which can be used on a variety of measures. This could include measures to ensure local residents know exactly how to report anti-social behaviour, funding for local community action projects and training for front line staff to equip them to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Phil Hope has welcomed the news saying: “Here in the East Midlands we are only too aware of the devastating impact that anti-social behaviour can have on a community and people’s lives. We have already taken major steps forward in tackling anti-social behaviour, but this funding is about making sure support and training goes further and deeper across communities. Tackling not tolerating anti-social behaviour is a top Labour priority.”

Labour’s Communities Secretary, John Denham, added: “Despite what the Tories may want to pretend, Labour has a strong record on tackling ASB, but we know there is always more that can be done. That is why we are committing to funding schemes like the one announced today so that people feel safe and in control of their own communities.

“The Labour Government wants people to know they are not alone. It might be a minority causing harm and misery for the majority but we are clear – this won’t be tolerated. We’re backing our communities and our neighbourhoods. To help this we’re giving the opportunity to thousands of community champions for support and training so they can ensure councils and police deliver, using all the powers they have and doing all they can.”

It is part of the £4 million Community Cashback Scheme where members of the public were asked to vote for which community groups they wanted to see receive a share of the cash. In total 30 projects in the East Midlands will each receive a share, news that has been welcomed by Labour’s Regional Minister for the East Midlands, Phil Hope.

Phil said:

“The Community Cashback Fund has given local people a direct say on how they wanted the money raised from criminal assets to be spent and I am delighted that the public have voted for 30 projects here in the East Midlands to receive a share.

“The Tories have dismissed these schemes as gimmicks but I think the community groups and the people that use them will know that this is not a gimmick and they will look forward to using this money.”

Alan Johnson MP, Labour’s Home Secretary said:

“It is only right that criminals are made to payback for their crimes. The Community Cashback fund ensures some of their ill gotten gains are ploughed back into local communities.

“Seizing assets deprives criminals of money, reduces the incentive for crime and promotes fairness and confidence in the criminal justice system. I’m glad so many people have got involved either by putting forward plans to improve their neighbourhoods or by voting for their favourite project.

“This is a concrete example of the Labour Government enabling communities to come together and turn the proceeds of crime into benefits for the many instead. It’s the practical application of Labour values.”

Included in the list of schemes to benefit from the cash are:

* £26,500 for a community Allotment Site in Derbyshire;
* £12,000 to extend a mentoring and outreach service in Northamptonshire;
* £14,000 for the Killisick Youth Action Group in Nottinghamshire;
* £6,000 for extending the membership of a community boxing gym in Leicestershire which diverts people from anti-social behaviour;
* £17,000 to fund a fully accredited motorcycle maintenance programme.

More than 45,000 members of the public voted on 1,225 community projects via a dedicated website, neighbourhood policing meetings and through citizens’ panels.

Kevin Catton, a caretaker from Seagrave Primary School in Nottingham, was chosen to receive the award after the Labour Party requested nominations from its members for those people who work tirelessly in our schools and communities to give every child the platform they need to make the best of themselves.

On receiving the award Kevin said:

“I am honoured to have been recognised for the work that I do. I am very lucky that I have a great job that is extremely rewarding. The staff and the children at the school are delightful and a real pleasure to work with.”

The school’s headteacher, Michael Jackson also joined Kevin at the Labour Party Conference. Michael said:

“Kevin is a fantastic asset to the school and I would like to thank him for his hard work and dedication. I am pleased that this has been recognised here today.”

Kevin was nominated by Glyn Jenkins, who said:

“Kevin really is the kind of person every organisation is looking for. More than dependable and long serving, he gives more than asked for without complaint. He obviously loves to support the children at the school he as served so well for the past 25 years. In his words ‘I just love the job’.

Labour’s East Midlands Regional Minister and MP for Corby, Phil Hope, today warned that local groups in the East Midlands including groups for over 50’s, parent and toddler groups, sports associations and groups for disabled people, who have all benefited from government grants to help them support local people will face an uncertain future if these grants are no longer available.

Phil said:

“Young people, parents and people with disabilities in our community rely on these organisations run by hardworking local volunteers. It would be a tragedy if Cameron’s short sighted cuts meant that groups cut back or are forced to close because they lost grant funding. I am determined to stand up for the East Midlands and I will oppose these Tory cuts which will put our local groups as risk.”

If David Cameron were Prime Minister now he would cut £100 million from the budget that supports voluntary and youth groups from this year, which could wipe out all of these grants.

Commenting on these figures nationally, Liam Byrne, Labour’s Cabinet Office Minister responsible for these grants said:

“David Cameron says he cares about charities and volunteers, but his plans for cuts to the grants they need expose the complete hypocrisy of the Tory Party today.

“This is opposed to the Labour Government who are taking action to ensure such groups are safeguarded through the economic downturn.

“In February we announced a £42.5 million recession action plan for the third sector to help them step up – not scale back – their work. Over the last ten years we’ve doubled public income for the third sector – from £5.5 billion to over £11 billion. And the Office for the Third Sector is spending £515 million in support over this 3 year period.

“The action plan package underlines Labour’s determination to do everything we can to help the third sector even more.”

In challenging senior local Conservatives in the East Midlands to say whether they agreed with these controversial plans Phil Hope said:

“For all David Cameron’s warm words about the NHS, the truth is that his Conservative Party would let hospitals right here in the East Midlands go bust.

“The Labour Government has given the NHS the investment and support they need to improve quality and bring waiting times down. The Tories want to use hospitals as collateral for raising unlimited debt, putting essential NHS services at risk of repossession.

“The Tories even admit that this ‘will entail risks to the assets necessary for the provision of essential NHS services’, yet unbelievably they still think putting our NHS at risk is the right thing to do.

“I wonder if senior Conservatives here in the East Midlands will be honest and admit whether they support these plans.”

Labour’s Health Secretary Alan Johnson MP added:

“The Tories talk tough on controlling debt, but their own plans would risk unleashing billions of pounds of uncontrolled debt into the heart of our NHS, with nobody to step in if hospitals went bust.

“We saw only last week that if you scratch beneath the surface, David Cameron’s party still contains people who think the NHS is a ‘mistake’. Now we can see that for all his reassuring talk about the NHS, under a Conservative government your hospital would be used as collateral for raising unlimited debt.”