§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of making the National Playing Fields Association a statutory consultee on playing fields development. [88461]
§ Mr. BanksAny decision to include the National Playing Field Association as a statutory consultee on playing fields development is one for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. We have already introduced a number of measures to protect playing fields which require local education authorities, schools and developers to consider carefully the needs of school children and local communities for whom playing fields are a vital resource. 201W Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and myself are in the closest contact with Ministers at the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to monitor these arrangements, and we will consider any further action which may be needed.