Cuts to children's play confirmed by education secretary
Melanie Defries
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Cuts of more than 169.5m are to be made to a range of projects aimed at children and young people, education secretary Michael Gove has confirmed in a letter to local authorities.
In the letter, dated last Wednesday (14 July), Mr Gove names capital funding for children’s play as one area that is being targeted for cutbacks.
He wrote that funding allocated for projects such as children’s playgrounds that has not yet been spent may be retained by the Department for Education (DfE), and that the DfE is to ask for information from local authorities on the status of all capital play projects. The letter also advises local authorities not to enter into any new contracts involving play capital grants.
Mr Gove wrote, ‘Government is committed to supporting local people to have an active role in shaping the play opportunities that they care so much about. However, play has to make its contribution to tackling the deficit along with other important programmes. We will be looking to achieve the most equitable distribution of reductions possible in this process. The Play Strategy team will be contacting local authorities to request information on the liabilities already incurred and to confirm revised allocations by August.’
Other areas to be hit by the latest cuts include school swimming pools, technology grants for schools, social work IT support and the youth capital fund.
He wrote that funding allocated for projects such as children’s playgrounds that has not yet been spent may be retained by the Department for Education (DfE), and that the DfE is to ask for information from local authorities on the status of all capital play projects. The letter also advises local authorities not to enter into any new contracts involving play capital grants.
Mr Gove wrote, ‘Government is committed to supporting local people to have an active role in shaping the play opportunities that they care so much about. However, play has to make its contribution to tackling the deficit along with other important programmes. We will be looking to achieve the most equitable distribution of reductions possible in this process. The Play Strategy team will be contacting local authorities to request information on the liabilities already incurred and to confirm revised allocations by August.’
Other areas to be hit by the latest cuts include school swimming pools, technology grants for schools, social work IT support and the youth capital fund.
