Explore Play Wales
The UK Children’s Play Policy Forum has issued a pre-election statement, ahead of the UK General Election on 4 July 2024. The statement highlights the need for focused action by the UK Government to address the severe decline in play over recent decades.
The statement focuses on the need for the incoming UK Government to deliver focused action for play including:
- support for national play organisations as key partners for change
- development of play strategies in England and Northern Ireland, based on a play sufficiency duty, mirroring developments in Wales and Scotland
- support for development of the playwork workforce.
The need for urgent action was highlighted by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 2023 review of the UK government’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In its concluding observations, the Committee emphasised the need for a strategic, comprehensive response from the UK government aimed at addressing significant play deficiencies.