One of Britain's most prominent education officials has called for an integrated 'pregnancy-to-age-three' service to give children a 'flying start in life'. Professor Tim Brighouse, Birmingham city council chief education officer, told a conference that the government's Sure Start programme had 'got off to a very uncertain start' because civil servants were 'mistrustful' of local government and health service bureaucracy. But the programme could be modified to form the basis of a multi-agency 'family support service'.