§ James PurnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has had with universities on the opening of their sports facilities for out-of-hours community use. [157767]
§ Alan JohnsonThere have been no discussions with universities on the opening of their sports facilities for out-of-hours community use. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous organisations and it is up to individual institutions to decide on the degree of public use of their sports facilities. This will vary depending on the type of facilities, the requirements of the local community and the needs of the institutions. However, I am aware that universities are already increasingly engaged in this type of activity.