Playing Fields (Hansard, 27 November 2001)

§ Mr. Greenway
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many playing fields were disposed of in each of the last five years. [17463]

§ Mr. Caborn
Information on the number of playing fields disposed of for the last five years is not collected. Sport England does, however, monitor the number of planning applications concerning playing fields in their role as statutory consultee. The Government intend to publish, with Sport England, detailed statistics on planning applications concerning playing fields when the data are finalised, in the new year.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has published figures on applications by state schools to dispose of or change the use of school playing fields since October 1998 when the Amendment to Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act was brought in to halt the previous administration's policy of forcing schools to sell off playing fields. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for School Standards gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 18 October 2001, Official Report, column 1292W.

§ Mr. Swire
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) school and (b) community playing fields have been sold for development in East Devon in each of the last five years. [18283]

§ Mr. Caborn
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has not approved any applications made by schools under Section77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to sell school sports pitches sized areas or larger in the constituency of East Devon.
Information on the number of local authority owned playing fields available to the local community and disposed of in the last five years is not collected. Sport England does, however, monitor the number of planning applications concerning playing fields in their role as statutory consultee. The Government intend to publish, with Sport England, detailed national statistics on planning applications concerning playing fields when the data is finalised, in the new year.

§ Mr. Bercow
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) community and (b) school playing fields have been sold for development in the Buckingham constituency in each of the last five years. [17843]

§ Mr. Caborn
Information on the number of local authority owned playing fields available to the local community and disposed of in the last five years is not collected. Sport England does, however, monitor the number of planning applications concerning playing fields in their role as statutory consultee. The Government intend to publish, with Sport England, detailed national statistics on planning applications concerning playing fields when the data is finalised, in the new year.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has not approved any applications made by schools under Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to sell school sports pitches in the constituency of Buckingham.