§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many school playing fields have been sold in England in each of the last five years; [145605]
(2) how many school playing fields have been sold in the constituency of Penrith and The Border in each of the last five years. [145606]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 15 January 2001]: Before October 1998, there was nothing to prevent a local authority selling a school playing field if it wanted to. An estimated 40 playing fields a month were sold in this way under the previous Government. Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced, with effect from 1 October 1998, to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools are now required to obtain the Secretary of State's consent before disposing of playing fields, or any part of a playing field.
Since October 1998, 82 applications from local authorities and governing bodies to sell areas equal to, or larger than, a sports pitch have been approved. As no national figures were collected before October 1998, these approved applications can be broken down for each year since the law was changed as follows:
- 1998: 7
- 1999: 44
- 2000: 31.
Applications to dispose, or change the use, of school playing fields are approved only where it is clear that any proceeds will be returned to education or used to improve or enhance sports provision. From this spring all applications will be scrutinised by a new panel that has been set up comprising representatives of the National Playing Fields Association, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, Learning through Landscapes, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Local Government Association.
There have been no applications to sell school playing fields in the constituency of Penrith and The Border.
Notes:
1. All sale proceeds are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
2. 37 per cent. of approved applications were in respect of sports pitches at closed or closing schools.
3. In 62 per cent. of cases at operating schools the sale proceeds have been used to provide new or enhanced sports facilities, including sports halls, all-weather pitches or improved grass sports pitches.
442W4. "Sports pitch" means an area of open grassed land which is equal to, or larger than, the Football Association's recommended 2,000 sq. metres area for games played by under-10s and which has a configuration making it suitable for sports, whether laid out as a sports pitch or not.