GOVERNMENT chiefs have refused to launch an investigation into how £10,000 of public money is going towards a street party at a time when children’s centres could be axed in Hampshire.

Concerns over the party in Winchester being part-funded by Hampshire County Council when more than 40 Sure Start centres could be closed saw campaigner Catherine Ovenden write to The Queen.

To her surprise Buckingham Palace responded quickly and passed the letter on to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark.

Writing on the Queen’s behalf, her correspondence officer Dale Bone said the Queen had expressed her thanks for the letter. “It was most thoughtful of you to take the time to write as you did and careful note has been taken of your comments,” he added.

Mr Bone said he had been instructed to send the letter to the secretary of state for communities and local government so the letter to the Queen and the points raised in it may be considered.

However the Department for Communities and Local Government has told the Daily Echo that how taxpayers’ money is spent and how efficiently it is spent lies in the hands of councils.

They added that they will officially respond to the letter in ‘due course’.

A statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government: “The Queen’s 90th Birthday is a truly national event and provides a great chance for all of us to reflect on the extraordinary service her Majesty has given this country for more than six decades.

“We recognise that local communities will want to mark this occasion.

“It is up to councils to ensure taxpayers’ money is being used efficiently and effectively on services that local people want to see.”

The campaign against plans to close more than 40 centres and replace them with 11 district hubs in a bid to save £8.5million, is gearing up for a protest march in Winchester on May 13, ahead of a crunch council meeting at the Hampshire County Council offices.

The cutbacks could see around 60 per cent of staff lose their jobs.

Districts in danger include the New Forest, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Winchester and the Test Valley.

Families using the services in Hampshire say it is heartbreaking, with many telling the Daily Echo that without the Sure Start support services they would not have overcome the anxieties of becoming a parent or learnt how to best raise their children.

Catherine Ovenden who says she was “saved” by Sure Start, has vowed to do all she can to rally support to help save the centres.

Hampshire’s 54 Sure Start facilities, including nine in the New Forest, provide a raft of services for vulnerable families.

But almost all the centres will be replaced by a new Family Support Service if the controversial scheme is given the go ahead by Cllr Keith Mans, executive member for children’s services.

She is also going to step up the pressure in the coming weeks as she received Freedom of Information responses from Hampshire County Council and also told the Daily Echo, should the decision to close the centres be made, she will consider legal action.