I AM delighted that we have both a national Government and local council working hard to improve the lives of Southampton children.

The Government’s decision to extend free early years education to two-year-olds, from less well-off homes, from September 2013 is very welcome indeed.

In Southampton it will benefit around 900 children in the city. This is in addition to the extra funding for Southampton for older children under the new Pupil Premium, which benefited us locally by £2.7m in the last year.

This is combined with a cast iron commitment locally by the current city council to protect all our Sure Start Children’s Centres and to do more to support the most vulnerable children.

CLLR JEREMY MOULTON, deputy leader, Southampton City Council, Cabinet member for children’s services.