The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £5.1 billion or 9.4% in cash terms on 2022/23. This boost in funding demonstrates how Government stands behind councils up and down the country. The majority of the funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities. On top of this, the £9 million UK-wide Levelling Up Parks Fund has provided specific funding to deliver improved green spaces in communities with the lowest access and a further £30 million will be provided to overhaul 30 local parks in England with a focus on improving facilities for young families.

My hon. Friend is a brilliant champion for better provision of playgrounds and stronger support for families and young people. The community ownership fund is available for some of the purposes she mentions, but I look forward to working with her to do more in this area.

Playgrounds are often a godsend for stressed parents. They are great for kids’ development, and they are free entertainment during all these cost of living pressures. Will my right hon. Friend consider earmarking a fund so that parish councils and community groups can bid to improve areas that are in a poor state or that lack the inclusive equipment we all want to see?

Through our national design guidance we encourage public spaces, including play areas, to be designed in an accessible and inclusive way.

The department is investing £9 million through the Levelling Up Parks Fund to regenerate green spaces across the UK as part of our Levelling Up agenda.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will also play a role in enabling local authorities to develop parks and open spaces to create greater pride in place through cleaner, greener and safer spaces, if places chose to fund these interventions.

The Government is currently developing its Disability Action Plan, which will set out the immediate action it will take in 2023 and 2024 to improve disabled people's lives, as well as laying the foundations for longer term change.

Absolutely. My hon. Friend and I had a fantastic chat about this issue recently. I am committed to following through on that.

A number of charities make sure that all play parks, both new and refurbished, are fully accessible to all children, including those with disabilities. That is a given in my patch and a Government commitment, but the national design codes are still too vague. Will the Minister hurry the officials up and unlock this for all children?

The department does not collect information on the adequacy of access to school play areas for children with disabilities. The department publishes area guidelines for schools in Building Bulletin 103: Area Guidelines for Mainstream Schools, and specific guidance for special educational needs and disability (SEND) schools and alternative provision (AP) sites in Building Bulletin 104: Area Guidelines for SEND and alternative provision, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/905692/BB103_Area_Guidelines_for_Mainstream_Schools.pdf and here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/905693/BB104.pdf.

These documents include guidance and expectations around size, type, and design of outdoor PE space, informal and social areas, and the use of habitat areas.

Schools must also comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, including making reasonable adjustments and carrying out accessibility planning for disabled pupils. Schools must prepare and implement accessibility plans which should include plans for improving the physical environment of schools to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided. Ofsted may review a school’s accessibility plan as part of school inspections.

In March 2022 the department announced High Needs Provision Capital Allocations amounting to over £1.4 billion of new investment. This funding is to support local authorities to deliver new places for academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25, and improve the suitability and accessibility of existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require AP. It is ultimately up to local authorities to determine how to best prioritise their funding to address their local priorities, including improving the accessibility of school play areas, and they can work with any school in their local area to do so.

I refer my right honourable friend to my answer to question 45528. The Secretary of State for DWP, Chloe Smith, and I remain committed to improving disabled people’s lives and continue to meet colleagues across government to push work in this space forward.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework encourages the creation of places that are safe, inclusive and accessible and which promote health and well-being. In support of this, the National Model Design Code, which guides the production of local design codes, encourages the design of children's play areas to be inclusive and accessible.

Local planning authorities are responsible for the achievement of these objectives locally and can influence the development of play areas through their local planning policies and decisions.

We aim to review the national planning and design guidance periodically, in consultation with relevant organisations.

The department does not hold data on the number and proportion of playgrounds that are accessible to disabled children in England.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework encourages the creation of places that are safe, inclusive and accessible and which promote health and well-being. In support of this, the National Model Design Code, which guides the production of local design codes, encourages the design of children's play areas to be inclusive and accessible.

Local planning authorities are responsible for the achievement of these objectives locally and can influence the development of play areas through their local planning policies and decisions.

We aim to review the national planning and design guidance periodically, in consultation with relevant organisations.

The department does not hold data on the number and proportion of playgrounds that are accessible to disabled children in England.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework encourages the creation of places that are safe, inclusive and accessible and which promote health and well-being. In support of this, the National Model Design Code, which guides the production of local design codes, encourages the design of children's play areas to be inclusive and accessible.

Local planning authorities are responsible for the achievement of these objectives locally and can influence the development of play areas through their local planning policies and decisions.

We aim to review the national planning and design guidance periodically, in consultation with relevant organisations.

The department does not hold data on the number and proportion of playgrounds that are accessible to disabled children in England.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework encourages the creation of places that are safe, inclusive and accessible and which promote health and well-being. In support of this, the National Model Design Code, which guides the production of local design codes, encourages the design of children's play areas to be inclusive and accessible.

Local planning authorities are responsible for the achievement of these objectives locally and can influence the development of play areas through their local planning policies and decisions.

We aim to review the national planning and design guidance periodically, in consultation with relevant organisations.

The department does not hold data on the number and proportion of playgrounds that are accessible to disabled children in England.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework encourages the creation of places that are safe, inclusive and accessible and which promote health and well-being. In support of this, the National Model Design Code, which guides the production of local design codes, encourages the design of children's play areas to be inclusive and accessible.

Local planning authorities are responsible for the achievement of these objectives locally and can influence the development of play areas through their local planning policies and decisions.

We aim to review the national planning and design guidance periodically, in consultation with relevant organisations.

The department does not hold data on the number and proportion of playgrounds that are accessible to disabled children in England.

Ensuring that playgrounds are accessible is an important part of driving forward inclusion for disabled children. The National Disability Strategy included an action to publish a new National Model Design code, supported by guidance, to stress the importance of providing accessible and inclusive play spaces and equipment for all. The new Code was published by the government in July 2021.

It is vitally important for all local authorities to consider their duties and legal obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 and ensure that new and refurbished play areas are accessible and inclusive.

I have continued to meet regularly with Ministerial Disability Champions across government to drive progress on priority areas for disabled people, including on accessible playgrounds.

Data on the location of monitoring sites, as well as pollutant concentrations from these sites, is available on the UK Air website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk).

Through our national design guidance we encourage public spaces, including play areas, to be designed in an accessible and inclusive way.

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities, such as local playgrounds.

As the analysis set out in the Levelling Up White Paper made clear, social capital is an essential part of successful places and interdependent with economic prosperity. Within the local growth funds, the second round of the Levelling Up Fund is open and my department welcomes bids for play areas from applicants. UK Shared Prosperity Fund will also play a role in allowing local authorities to develop parks and open spaces, with the primary objective to create greater pride in place through cleaner, greener and safer spaces.

Through our national design guidance we encourage public spaces, including play areas, to be designed in an accessible and inclusive way.

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities, such as local playgrounds.