Government backs child play investment

Investment in play is "vital" to children's development, according to a minister at the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin told the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Play that she had backing from the children's secretary on the new 'play agenda'.

Ed Balls "has stated that he believes that play is fundamental and successful to the development of a child", she told the group.

Since the start of the capital investment programme in 2008, the government has exceeded its target of 500 new or refurbished play areas, she said.

And Baroness Morgan said that "really good progress" had been made on local authority planning on play areas.

An additional £1.5m has been made available for the refurbishment of existing third sector adventure playgrounds, she added.

"I do not think that wrapping children in cotton wool does them any favours or gives them a useful preparation for the real world," Baroness Morgan said.

"It is by listening to children that we will ultimately get it right.

"We do need local authorities to commit to revenue funding. We cannot replace that need."

Alex Sharp, play development manager at Haringey Play Association, told ePolitix.com that Play England is working with the Department of Children, Schools and Families to support, train and guide local authorities on the play agenda.

"Play England offer us advice and support," she said. "They help us find answers."

The director of Play England, Adrian Voce, explained to ePolitix.com that the recession had changed the context of the play strategy.

"We have to remain focused on the fact that this is a year 10 year strategy," he said.

"The strategy also includes some very serious levers for persuading local authorities to invest more and give play a higher priority. The recession does not change it but the public sector obviously faces some constraints."

Voce was also confident that a change in administration would not alter the current commitments on children's play.

"We are optimistic that a Conservative government would honour the current commitments and the 10 year children's plan is part of how children's services are changing over the long term and they wouldn't want to dismantle that," he said.

"We are confident that a new administration would want to work with the play sector, look at the progress that has been made and build upon it and to honour that 10 year vision and to help us continue to deliver it."