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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provides to local authorities seeking to establish play streets and other child-friendly neighbourhood initiatives.

The department has not made a specific national assessment of the impact of traffic levels on children's opportunities for outdoor play but recognises the importance of ensuring children have access to safe and welcoming local places to play. Through the £18 million Playground Fund, the Government is supporting local authorities to improve access to high-quality playgrounds in areas of greatest need.

The Government’s Pride in Place Programme will also provide up to £5.8 billion over ten years to support 284 neighbourhoods identified as most in need. Each neighbourhood under the programme will be given up to £20m of flexible funding and support. In each place, the local neighbourhood board will work with the community to decide how this funding is spent, which could include investment in local regeneration projects such as parks and playgrounds where these reflect local priorities.