Government promises to work with children's charity after decision to axe Booktrust's �13m grant sparks literary outrage
The government has made a partial U-turn over providing free books for children, after the poet laureate accused ministers of behaving like "Scrooge at his worst".
Education secretary Michael Gove held hurried consultations with Booktrust, interrupting his Christmas break when the charity released a letter confirming the government was to axe a �13m annual grant for free books that benefit 3.3 million youngsters a year.
While the prime minister David Cameron was upbraided by Labour leader Ed Milband for "another mean-minded" removal of funding, in a joint statement, the charity and the education department confirmed that although the �13m grant would not continue as such, ministers would work with Booktrust to help disadvantaged children.
The joint statement said: "[We] are determined to ensure that reading for pleasure is a gift every child can enjoy. That is why the DFE will continue to fund Booktrust book-gifting programmes in the future.
"Although the current contract will end in April, the department is talking to Booktrust about how to develop a new programme which will ensure that every child can enjoy the gift of books at crucial moments in their lives while ensuring we develop an even more effective way of supporting the most disadvantaged families to read together. The department and Booktrust will be working together, with publishers, in order to ensure that we can make every possible saving in developing an enhanced programme."
The statement came as Carol Ann Duffy, appointed poet laureate in 2009, joined other authors to attack the cut. The charity provides free books for children from the age of nine months until 11.
Duffy said: "Support for Bookstart is support for the dreams and imaginations and futures of British children. To withdraw that support is to behave like Scrooge at his worst. Here's hoping the powers-that-be see the light in time, as he did."
Ian McEwan, author of Atonement, said: "I'm counting on Michael Gove to reconsider. This modestly funded, truly civilised scheme has brought to millions of kids benefits far beyond the calculations of politicians. Who knows what seeds have been planted in young minds? It's by initiatives like this that we hope to measure ourselves as a mature and thoughtful society. A U-turn on this would be an honourable choice."
The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, last night wrote to the prime minister, David Cameron: "On school sport we saw a mean-minded decision made without consultation or regard for the consequences where you had to perform a partial U-turn. We are seeing that again here.
"Booktrust was simply told a week ago that 100% of their �13m funding was being cut without any explanation. Today, the department appears to be starting to backtrack amid the outcry from parents, children and authors.
"But there is no clarity at all. It now falls to you to get a grip on this fiasco and provide some reassurance that a scheme will be maintained, with a clear statement about the amount of investment that will be provided."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/26/free-books-scheme-funding-u-turn
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