Cameron faces backlash over books 'fiasco'

David Cameron is facing calls to sort out the "fiasco" of government backing for a scheme providing free books for children, following a U-turn by ministers over plans to axe all state funding.

Labour leader Ed Miliband accused the coalition of being "mean-minded" and called on the Prime Minister to clarify how much government support the Booktrust scheme would now receive.

The charity had been expecting to see a 20% cut in its £13 million-a-year government grant, only to be told that it would be losing the entire sum.

But following a furious backlash from authors including the leading children's author Philip Pullman and former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion, the Department for Education announced it would continue to fund the charity's book-giving programme.

It said in a joint statement with Booktrust: "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 apparent U-turn comes hard on the heels of Education Secretary Michael Gove's hurried retreat over plans to axe funding for the School Sports Partnership scheme in England, which had been slated to close.

However Mr Miliband has written to Mr Cameron calling on him to explain just how much of its original grant Booktrust would retain.

"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," he wrote.

"Today, the Department of Education 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 on the lines of the current programme will be maintained, with a clear statement about the amount of investment that will be provided."

Booktrust, which has been operating since 1992 and Government-funded since 2004, aims to provide Bookstart packs to parents when their babies are born and then further books at later stages in their development.

Its co-founder, Wendy Cooling, was awarded the MBE in 2008 for services to children's literacy.