Children's Play

HC Deb 16 January 1995 vol 252 cc300-1W

Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what financial commitments he has made towards resourcing children's play in future years.

Mr. Sproat

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are currently considering the responses to our current consultation exercise on children's play and will be announcing our conclusions in due course along with their financial implications.

Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for National heritage how much money was allocated by his Department to children's play in the years, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Mr. Sproat

As part of its annual grant in aid, the Sports Council received earmarked funding for children's play totalling £4.2 million over the period 1987–88 to 1992–93, an average of £700,000 a year. Following the closure of the national children's play and recreation unit in March 1993, it has been for the Sports Council to determine its expenditure on children's play within the overall resources available to it.