To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have applied for departmental funding to allow them to open their facilities to community groups. (187725)

Opening school facilities to the community is one of the elements of the extended schools core offer. We are committed to all schools providing access to the core offer of extended services by 2010 with at least half of all primary and a third of secondary schools doing so by September 2008.

The Department has committed significant investment in extended schools, and will make available more than £1 billion over the next three years to support the establishment of inclusive and sustainable extended schools. This funding is passed to local authorities to distribute directly to schools to help them deliver the core offer. The Department centrally does not hold extended schools funding to which schools can apply.