Giving evidence to the education committee select committee today, Greening said that funding Sure Start provision was the responsibility of local authorities, adding that they can increase council tax if they feel children's centres are a local priority.
Analysis by CYP Now earlier this year revealed there had been a reduction of more than 1,000 official children's centres in England over the last seven years, with 2,501 as of February 2017, compared with 3,631 in 2010.
Councils are currently able to increase general council tax by up to 1.99 per cent, with any higher increase requiring a local referendum.
Greening said: "[Children's centres are] provision that councils are responsible for. What I'm setting out today is our national strategy and councils are able to increase council tax and manage their own revenue streams if that is what they feel is worthwhile in local communities.
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