To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to protect green spaces in urban areas. (72553)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to improve inner-city green spaces. (75572)

This Government’s programmes for improving urban parks and green spaces are set out in our reports “Living Places—Cleaner, Safer, Greener” (ODPM 2002), and “Sustainable communities: building for the future” (ODPM 2003).

Available evidence shows that the programmes are working. For example, public satisfaction in parks and green spaces rose by 8 per cent. to71 per cent. between 2001 and 2004 (ODPM, 2004). The National Audit Office’s recent report on the performance of our programmes also found that:

“84% of urban local authorities believe the quality of their park is stable or improving. This compares to less than 44% in 2000. In 2000 more than 55% of urban local authorities considered their historic green spaces were declining in quality. This had fallen to 16% in 2005”.

It also concluded that:

“Initiatives led by the Office of Deputy Prime Minister have helped to reverse the decline in the quality of urban green space in many of England’s urban neighbourhoods”.

(NAO March 2006).