§ Mr. Lathamthe Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what arrangements are being made in respect of the staff of Play Board, following the liquidation of ACPR Limited on 31 March;
(2) what time scale he envisages for the conclusion of the discussions relating to children's play, described by the Under-Secretary of State in his speech to the House on 6 April, Official Report, column 144; and what interim coordinating arrangements are being made following the voluntary liquidation of Play Board.
§ Mr. TraceyThe Sports Council is now discussing the future development of children's play with local authority 643W associations and other interested parties and expect to reach conclusions in September. In the meantime the council proposes to continue some of the work undertaken by Play Board through the setting-up of an information and advisory service.
In September 1986 the council and Play Board agreed to start negotiations on our proposal that Play Board's role and functions be merged with those of the council — a proposal which offered the clear prospect of continuing employment on play-related work within the council for Play Board's staff. On March 5 Play Board resolved to withdraw from these negotiations and to enter into liquidation. I very much regret the consequences these decisions have had for Play Board's staff.
§ Mr. Clellandasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what alternatives to the amalgamation of Play Board with the Sports Council he considered before September 1986; and why he rejected them;
(2) what response he made, or proposes to make, to the representations made by organisations in the field of children's play on the issue of Play Board;
(3) if the former Play Board budget now allocated to the Sports Council is to be retained as a separate budget for children's play; and at what level proportionate to its 1987 value it will be maintained in future years.
(4) what steps he is taking to ensure that the intellectual, emotional and social development of children through play is developed by the Sports Council.
§ Mr. TraceyThe alternative options considered for the future development of children's play were set out in my reply to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 9 April at column391.
A number of organisations and individuals have written to and discussed with me their concerns about the future funding and independence of children's play. As I have explained to them, I remain of the view that the future development of children's play within the structure of the Sports Council represents the best way of progressing the work begun by Play Board.
Within its grant-aid for 1987–88, the Sports Council has £700,000 separately allocated for children's play. Our proposals envisage that children's play would be treated separately under the council's corporate planning and budgeting arrangements with the proviso that at least half of the moneys available for the Department would be used to pump-prime private sector funds. This arrangement does not affect the continuing support for play under the urban programme—now running at £6 million each year— nor the further substantial resources directed to play by the Departments of Health and Social Security and Education and Science.
I fully appreciate the importance of play in the development of children. Together with continuing support from the Departments of Health and Social Security and Education and Science, I am sure that appropriate arrangements will be identified by the Sports Council which will recognise the full potential of children's play.