Children's Minister Margaret Hodge has been speaking to Keighley mothers about Labour's Sure Start scheme hailed "the best kept secret of the last eight years".

There are now 550 projects in the country aimed at offering education and health care for pre-school tots.

The plan is to have one in every community, a total of 3,500 by 2100.

Mrs Hodge, at the Sure Start centre in Braithwaite Grove, said: "Ann Cryer invited me to Keighley to see the way in which this centre is helping local parents gain confidence and skills while their children receive high quality care.

"I am so pleased to see people's lives being improved.

More than 12,600 children in Bradford local education authority have already benefited from these free places."

Chancellor Gordon Brown said yesterday Sure Start schemes were now as valued as hospitals and schools.

He said more help was needed for parents to help find jobs which fit around school hours and to provide affordable childcare.

He said: "The earliest years - once the lowest priority - are now rightly becoming amongst the highest priorities.

"Sure Start is probably the greatest success story and yet the best kept secret of the last eight years."

The Conservatives have pledged a quarter of a million parents will get up to £50 a week for every child under five.

They also want to cut out all the form-filling and have pledged to increase maternity pay by £1,400 over six months.

They also said they would back companies to start up nurseries for their staff and provide £20 million for schools and clubs to bid for to set up after-school clubs.

A Conservative party spokesman said: "By 2009 thanks to cutting the waste and our planned increases in the schools budget we will be investing an extra £500 million to help families and childcare."

A Liberal Democrat spokesman said they would extend maternity leave to nine months and guarantee first time working mothers £170 a week for the first six months.

They would also create 3,500 more children's centres by 2010 and extend free nursery places of 20 hours a week for three and four-year-olds.

They also have plans to raise the income thresholds whereby parents can still qualify for the benefit.

Class sizes of 20 to ease that transition into full time education for first years would be introduced.

Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary said: "Common sense as well as expert opinion tells us that children who are well taught and well cared for in their early years, have a better chance of leading successful and rewarding lives.

"That is why we have set out plans to provide a guaranteed minimum income to first time working mothers on maternity leave, roll out more early years centres and to invest more money in the crucial first years of formal education."

Other candidates also standing in the Keighley constituency are:

Karl Poulsen (Con); Nader Fekri (Lib Dem); Nick Griffin (BNP).