Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Levelling Up Parks Fund includes provisions to help ensure that parks are more inclusive for disabled children.

The UK Government launched the £9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund (LUPF) on 1 August. In England, 85 eligible local authorities have opted in to receive funding to deliver new or significantly refurbished green spaces in the neighbourhoods most deprived of green spaces.

The Fund will increase access to quality green spaces in some of our most deprived villages, towns and cities. It is for local leaders to decide how they can best do that in their neighbourhoods, considering the needs and views of local people. Where they decide that improved facilities for disabled children falls within their local priorities, the funding can be used for renovating parks to improve their inclusivity.

Local authorities are also subject to the public sector equality duty, which requires them to consider the needs and disadvantages faced by people with protected characteristics, which includes disabled users of their green spaces.