Government spending on early excellence centres will double this year to pound;13 million as part of a major expansion of the scheme.
After a three-year pilot the Government announced a major expansion of the project in April and hopes to have 100 centres operational by 2004.
Stephen Timms, the school standards minister, said that by then the Government would be providing pound;18m per year to support the centres which are also funded by local authorities.
In response to a question by Conservative MP John Bercow, Mr Timms said that evaluation of the scheme which funds one-stop shops for pre-school education, childcare and family services showed that it saved money, increased standards and reduced social exclusion.
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