Public Green Spaces 2024-01-22
2024-01-22
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the protection and maintenance of public green spaces across constituencies.
What steps he is taking to protect public green spaces?
Through the levelling up parks fund, taxpayers are providing more than £9 million to create new green spaces or significantly refurbish existing ones. The Department-owned green flag award scheme sets the national standard for public green spaces and encourages local authorities to ensure that parks and green spaces are welcoming, safe and well maintained.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP expresses concern about the Erewash Borough Council's plan to sell large swathes of green open spaces, including a designated nature reserve.
Behind the closed doors of the town hall, Labour-controlled Erewash Borough Council is plotting to sell off large swathes of green open space. Will my hon. Friend take steps to prevent local authorities from selling public land without first carrying out full public consultations, and will he join me on a visit to the Pewit site to discuss how we might save it from the hands of developers?
By law, local authorities are required to publish a notice and advertise it before disposing of any open space. This is exactly why it is so important that my hon. Friend is and continues to be the MP for Erewash. She can call out all the disasters of the Labour Erewash Borough Council which, as a fellow Derbyshire MP, I see Derbyshire Labour doing regularly all across my county.
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Assessment & feedback
Steps to prevent selling public land without full consultation
Call Out All The Disasters Of The Labour Erewash Borough Council
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP highlights the decline in school trips to public green spaces due to reduced funding for local authority education departments.
Is he aware that the decline of education departments in many local authorities owing to the policies of successive Conservative Governments means that today the ability to organise school trips to green spaces is minimal? Could we have a policy that allows all our children, of whatever background, to go to and enjoy those beautiful green spaces?
The hon. Gentleman should look at the Conservative party's record on education in over 40 years in government. There have been substantial improvements in education and teaching, and our children are better readied for the challenges ahead as a result.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy