---

Local Government Services: Sports

Answer

I have been asked to reply.The Government welcomed this important report, which highlighted the need for better, more strategic decision making by local authorities on the procurement and management of leisure facilities. We want to help local authorities to modernise their leisure facilities and to ensure that the right sports facilities are provided in the right location. Sport England has developed a range of strategic planning tools to assist them. These include: the Active Places database, which provides a comprehensive picture of a range of sports facilities across the country; the National Benchmarking Service; a facilities planning model; and a sports facilities demand estimator. In addition, Sport England's Facilities Improvement Service is working closely with a number of local authorities to improve their strategic planning for community sport at the local level.On the specific recommendations:"Through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and Free Swimming programmes a range of Government Departments, including the Department of Health, Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are working together to ensure a coordinated approach to investment in sports and recreation facilities;""As part of the BSF programme, local authorities must demonstrate that they have consulted with Sport England, County Sports Partnerships, sports governing bodies and others concerning the strategic development of school sports facilities within their area. Additionally, Partnerships for Schools' PE and sports advisers help local authority sports stakeholder groups to develop dual school community-use facilities;""In BSF, the local education partnership (LEPS) actively promotes opportunities for local councils to develop strategic capital development proposals to achieve better value for money through joint procurement;""DCMS were not allocated private finance initiative (PFI) credits in CSR07 and will not therefore be directly supporting any leisure PFI projects but continue to work with councils who are currently procuring leisure facilities through PFI and with the public private partnerships programme (4ps) and regional centres of excellence on procurement guidance. Sport England is also working with a number of local authorities on the development of sustainable public private partnerships."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

481 c1147-8W;481 c1145-6W; 226616

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Leisure Facilities Sports

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk