§ Mr. John Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied that the regulations issued by his Department in 1981, No. 909, are adequate to safeguard school playing field provision per pupil in any circumstance of a falling school roll.
§ Mr. John Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he will urge every local education authority to make school premises available for use outside school hours and in the holidays;
(2) whether he intends further to encourage schools to offer the community shared use of sports facilities.
§ Mr. DunnAs my right hon. Friend stated in reply to a question by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Carlisle) on 4 March 1983, consistent encouragement has been given for the community use of maintained school premises, including sports facilities; and he hoped that local authorities would continue to promote such use so far as practicable within the resources available to them. This remains the position.
303WAs my right hon. Friend further stated in the course of a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 13 June last, results of the Department's survey of shared and extended use of schools in 1983 which followed up an earlier survey in 1978–79 suggest that levels of use have been maintained or improved, and show that sports users continue to be the group most likely to make regular use of both primary and secondary school premises. The statistical bulletin giving the full results of the survey will be published by the Department shortly.
§ Mr. John Carlisleasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what acreage of school playing fields have been sold for building development since 1981.