Education secretary Charles Clarke has called on employers to provide more child care support to help Sure Start services extend beyond disadvantaged areas.

Clarke told the Sure Start national conference last week that for Sure Start to run throughout the whole of England it was necessary to look beyond government resources.

He said: "We are developing a proposal for the comprehensive spending review, but we have to look to a way of getting extra resources into this that are not simply from the exchequer."

Children's minister Margaret Hodge said more support from employers could be combined with greater contributions from parents towards child care to ensure Sure Start's national roll-out.

Community care minister Stephen Ladyman said there was also a case for health budgets to contribute towards Sure Start projects.

"If we demonstrate health benefits for Sure Start, then why shouldn't we contribute something for those health benefits?" he asked.