§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to encourage inner-city schools in the independent and maintained sectors to share their sports playing fields with schools which do not have such fields. [108283]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThrough the specialist schools programme, Sports Colleges work closely with local partner primary and secondary schools and the wider community, sharing their facilities and resources, to help raise participation and standards in PE and sport for all pupils. We are particularly keen to support schools in inner cities and areas of social deprivation, and give some preference to applications through the associated Excellence in Cities programme. It is for individual schools to make appropriate arrangements to share facilities.
A survey in 1997 indicated that, in 45 per cent. of the independent schools surveyed, games pitches and school grounds were used by maintained schools; and in 28 per cent, athletics tracks were used by maintained schools. The Government's Independent/State School Partnerships Scheme, established in 1997, promotes the sharing of a wide range of resources between independent and maintained schools for their mutual benefit, supported by a project grant programme. A number of these partnerships are sharing sporting facilities as one aspect of their project.