§ Baroness Cumberlegeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the statement by the Lord Warner on 16 November (HL Deb, col. 1304) on public health, how they are going to protect school playing fields and to help more children to walk or cycle to school. [HL29]
§ Lord FilkinSection 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced on 1 October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields that occurred in the 1980s and early to mid 1990s. Earlier this year, on 27 August, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced his intention to tighten up the criteria against which applications for consent to dispose of school playing fields are assessed.
The assessment criteria have been strengthened so that:
33WA
- the sale of a playing field is an absolute last resort with local authorities having to demonstrate that they have exhausted all other sources of funding;
- sale proceeds must be used to improve outdoor sports facilities wherever possible, so that local authorities will have to provide first class outdoor facilities before introducing new indoor sports facilities; and
- new sports facilities must be sustainable for at least 10 years.
Following consultation with the independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel, the new guidance was published on 8 November.
We want to reduce the number of cars on the school run and are keen that schools, parents and local authorities do what they can do to improve the situation.
This Government are providing over £50 million this year and next to help support the development of school travel plans. These plans help to identify specific measures which could reduce the number of car journeys. They also promote and encourage more walking and cycling to school or the use of public transport for longer trips. If enacted as drafted, the School Transport Bill would require pilot authorities to consider the travel needs of all pupils and could result in improved walking and cycling infrastructure around schools.