Written question asked by Lord Ouseley (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Hanham (Conservative) on Wednesday, 6 July 2011.

Sport and Leisure: Funding

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how policies and programmes linked to the concept of the Big Society will deliver positive outcomes in situations where a local authority decides to lease the management of all leisure and recreational facilities in order to achieve budgetary reductions and the local community are reluctant to take on the costs and other burdens.

Answer: Local authorities that choose to lease or transfer assets to the voluntary or social enterprise sector will want to ensure that such a transfer is financially sustainable over the long term. Handled well, such transfers can generate savings and protect the continued local community use of such facilities. Policies such as the community right to buy and the community right to challenge will strengthen the ability of local communities to improve and protect community facilities, including leisure and recreational assets.

Secondary information