To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has allocated for children's play schemes in (a) the London Borough of Enfield and (b) Enfield North constituency in the last 12 months. (282576)

Enfield are one of 30 play pathfinder authorities across England and began receiving play funding from April 2008, as part of the first wave of the children’s plan play capital investment programme. The authority has already received £594,107 capital funding and £138,510 revenue funding during 2008-09 which was used to successfully deliver 12 new/improved public play areas in the borough. They have been allocated a further £1,569,237 capital funding and £218,633 revenue funding to be spent in 2009-10 to deliver another 16 public play areas and one adventure playground.

The play capital investment programme will provide capital and revenue funding to every one of the 152 top-tier local authorities in England in order to develop/improve play spaces. Decisions on where the capital funding is spent within local authority boundaries are taken locally, based on grant requirements around improved play spaces being provided where they are most needed and based on a robust consultation process with local children and young people, families and wider communities.

We are encouraging all Members of Parliament to proactively engage with their local play capital programmes as they roll out, and we are asking local authorities to ensure that their local Members of Parliament and council elected members are appropriately consulted, and briefed, about where the capital funding is spent.