Labour pledges to open Sure Start centres to charities and childcare providers

The charity 4Children has estimated that there are around 1,100 Sure Start centres that could provide additional places if given extra support or direction:

• Hunt: Charities and private childcare providers would use Sure Start centres

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has admitted that a Labour government would rely on charitable and private childcare providers to put "mothballed" Sure Start centres back into use.

Speaking on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hunt said councils would be obliged by law to invite such providers to make use of Sure Start centres:

Labour has said that the removal of the statutory obligation on councils to provide childcare via Sure Start centres by the coalition Government has directly led to a dramatic decline in numbers.

There are 720 fewer now than in 2010 and many more mothballed or running much-reduced hours.

With half of authorities predicting budget cuts will further restrict the service in the next two years, shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said it was vital to restore the pressure to "put the lights back on, get the kids back in".

Labour have pledged to reimpose a requirement to local councils to provide childcare via Sure Start centres in a bid to "save" the network, shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt announced.

The network of facilities for parents in mostly deprived areas is seen as one of its most significant initiatives of its time in power.