§ 1. Dr. Nick Palmer (Broxtowe)What action his Department is taking to increase access to green spaces in urban areas. [139307]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Yvette Cooper)Parks and green spaces make a big difference to local communities. For too many years, they were left to decline. That is why the Government are investing £200 million over the next three years to regenerate local parks and green spaces in towns and cities across the country.
§ Dr. PalmerI am grateful for my hon. Friend's reply, but although overall spending is no doubt helpful, is there a concrete way in which local groups can apply for support? Often, local groups know what is most needed.
§ Yvette CooperMy hon. Friend is right—often, community groups, including bodies such as Friends of the Parks, are vital to the regeneration of local parks and green spaces. They can apply for the living spaces fund, which will provide £30 million to support about 1,500 projects over the next three years, because we think it 756 right that community groups as well as local authorities should benefit from more support to improve green spaces.
§ Alistair Burt (North-East Bedfordshire)Does the Minister agree that her Department is being even more successful in the policy of increasing access to urban areas in green spaces by demolishing large parts of the north in order to concrete over more of the south-east?
§ Yvette CooperAs the hon. Gentleman knows, that is complete nonsense. I am sorry that his party is so little concerned about parks and green spaces. I checked the record of the shadow junior Ministers' interest in parks: they have referred to parks 56 times; unfortunately, 33 of those references were to car parks.