MP slams DfE’s ‘lack of engagement’ during child-friendly town inquiry
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
The Department for Education has been criticised by the chair of a parliamentary committee for failing to engage with its inquiry into the impact of town planning on children and young people.
Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee Clive Betts MP said it is “deeply disappointing” that the department “refused to engage constructively” with the committee on the issue.
The committee had requested children’s minister David Johnston attend an evidence session, but the department “did not want to” to send him to answer MPs’ questions, according to Betts.
“It is alarming that the Department for Education feels it has very little to contribute to government policy in this area,” said the Labour MP for Sheffield South East.
He added: “It’s crucially important for the government to take a cross-department approach to ensuring children and young people have access to outdoor spaces to protect their mental and physical health.
“The fundamental lack of cross-government action risks children and young being forgotten.”
The inquiry launched in November last year and published written evidence earlier this year as it investigates issues how policy can improve children’s access to play facilities and meet each other outdoors.
It plans to publish its recommendations later in June.
In her response to concerns raised by Betts, DfE permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood acknowledged that the remit of committee’s inquiry relates to a number of departments, including the DfE.
But she added that it does “not hold formal joint responsibility” with other departments on issues around town planning and children.
In a letter to Betts she says Johnston was unable to attend as “he does not hold formal joint responsibilities for the areas under discussion” and therefore “did not rearrange other commitments at short notice to attend”.
A more junior minister, Baroness Barran, whose portfolio includes school buildings was offered to the committee to attend but “this offer was not taken up”, states Acland-Hood in her response to Betts.
She added that the issue of children and the built environment “has been raised” when she and her counterpart at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities “regularly speak to each other”.
Communication between teams in the two departments also takes place on the issue but Acland-Hood said she “cannot provide details” of these discussions.
