Christmas is a time for children and a time when many of us will remember our own childhoods.

Certainly for me this was vastly different from the world that today’s children live in. The TV was never switched on, the family got together to play silly games after Christmas dinner and on Boxing Day all the children played out in the street showing off their new toys. Nowadays both parents usually juggle work and family commitments, there are lots of outside influences from television, the internet and mobile phones and many parents worry about letting their children play safely outside.

In addressing these new challenges, Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families recently announced the first ever Children’s Plan, bringing together action plans from across Government to ensure that every child has the opportunity to go as far as their talents will take them.

Early intervention is the key to making a real difference and we are extending free nursery places for 2 year olds in our most disadvantaged communities. As children progress through primary school we will make sure they learn the basics of Maths and English as well as the personal skills they will need to succeed in secondary school and we will make sure that every parent has a record of their child’s development and education.

But it’s not just about what happens in school, children only spend about 14% of their time in the classroom. Portsmouth will get two new expert parenting advisors under our plans and Dr Tanya Byron from the TV programme “The House of Tiny Tearaways” is investigating the risk to children from the internet and video games and will report in the Spring.

Children need safe places to play and over the next few years we will be investing £225 million in children’s play areas, and I will be making sure that good use is made of that money in Portsmouth. I was talking to parents in Hilsea last week and everyone agreed that we just want our children to grow up safe, secure and happy. Merry Christmas.