Oral Answers to Questions — Children, Schools and Families – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 30 November 2009.
Bob Spink
Independent, Castle Point
2:30,
30 November 2009
How many school playing fields have been sold for development in the last five years.
Vernon Coaker
Minister of State (Department for Children, Schools and Families) (Schools and Learners)
In the last five years, 51 applications involving the sale of school playing fields have been approved.
Bob Spink
Independent, Castle Point
School playing fields at Castle View on Canvey Island, Scrub Lane in Hadleigh and Jotmans in Benfleet in my Constituency have recently been given up for development in one form or another. What on earth is going on in Essex county council education authority? Will the Government step in to enforce their excellent policy of protecting our school playing fields, which are so valuable?
Vernon Coaker
Minister of State (Department for Children, Schools and Families) (Schools and Learners)
I do not know what is going on in Essex county council, but I should be happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss it and see what we can do together.
The hon. Gentleman has raised an important point about safeguarding school playing fields. He will know that in 1998 we changed the law to ensure that any sale of school playing fields had to be submitted to the Secretary of State for his agreement. Very few such applications have been made, because the criterion is very tight. The hon. Gentleman will also know that before 1998 considerably more school playing fields were sold, and that the receipts from the sale of any playing field-whether by an open school or a closed school-must be put back into either education or education-related leisure facilities.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
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