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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 9 December, to question 96967 on Sports: Facilities, if he will make an assessment of the (a) distribution and (b) availability of sports pitches by local authorities.

The government has no plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) distribution and (b) availability of sports pitches by local authorities.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that it is for local planning authorities to make assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities in their areas (including quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses), and opportunities for new provision.

Information gained from the assessments should be used to determine what open space, sport and recreational provision is needed, which plans should then seek to accommodate.