Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Thursday Volume 558 14 February 2013 No. 117 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 14 February 2013 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2013 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1025 14 FEBRUARY 2013 1026 Maria Miller: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to House of Commons pay tribute to organisations such as the one he mentions in his community, which can inspire young people to get Thursday 14 February 2013 involved in sport and stay involved. The Government are supporting those organisations through our youth and community sport strategy, in which £1 billion is The House met at half-past Nine o’clock being invested over the next five years. Along with the work of Sport England, that makes us well placed to capitalise on the momentum from the Olympic and PRAYERS Paralympic games. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar and Limehouse) (Lab): The Government initially tried to scrap school sports Mr Speaker: After four and a half years of dedicated partnerships completely but then changed their mind and outstanding professional service to the House, the and put some funding back in. How many of their Deputy Serjeant at Arms, Mike Naworynsky, is sadly targets for school sports participation are being met leaving us shortly to take up a new role in Oxford. I am these days? sure that the whole House will want very warmly to thank him for all he has done on our behalf. Maria Miller: I am sure the hon. Gentleman will have read in the press that Ofsted has produced an important report, in which it found that there has been an improvement in the provision of school sport since 2008. Everyone in Oral Answers to Questions the House would applaud that, but clearly we want to do more to build on the momentum from the Olympics and Paralympics. That is why we are continuing to put forward investment for the school games, which we CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT think is an important legacy project, but we will continue to look at how we can ensure that teachers are able to The Secretary of State for Culture Olympics, Media provide the physical literacy that we know young people and Sport was asked— need. Olympic/Paralympic Games: Legacy Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con): I commend my right hon. Friend for the Government’s work to achieve a lasting legacy, but I ask her to focus on the 1. Chris White (Warwick and Leamington) (Con): financial legacy, particularly the money that was left What steps her Department is taking to secure a legacy within the budget and not spent. She will be aware of from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. the big lottery refund campaign, now supported by [143148] more than 3,300 charities, which is pressing for that money to be returned. I know that it is the Government’s The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport intention to do so, but can she indicate when that will (Maria Miller): I am sure that you will not find it occur? inappropriate for me to wish you, Mr Speaker, a happy Valentine’s day, although I am sure that I am not the Maria Miller: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to first person to have done so this morning. bring that up. The lottery’s financial role in many The Government are clear about our vision to deliver organisations’ lives is pivotal. We cannot yet finalise the legacy over the next 10 years, and we have already made accounts, so it would be a little premature of me to give substantial progress across the five core areas: sport and any indication about it or when it might happen, but I healthy living, economic, community, regeneration of certainly understand the point he makes. Organisations east London and the Paralympics. want to know how that will work as we move forward. Mr Speaker: I wish the same to the Secretary of State. Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): I thank the Minister for her comments so far. Northern Ireland played a very Chris White: You took the words right out of my significant role in participating and medal-winning for mouth, Mr Speaker. Team GB at the Olympics. What discussions has she For sport in our country, 2012 was a fantastic year, had with the equivalent Minister in Northern Ireland to but it is vital that we follow it up over the next few years, ensure that the legacy from the Olympics will also be in especially with the young people we have the greatest place for the young people in Northern Ireland who potential to influence. In my constituency, a charity want a chance to be an Olympian? called Kids Run Free organises events to get young people passionate about exercise and sets up races Maria Miller: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that are available to school and pre-school age groups. that every corner of this great nation pulled together The races have spread across the west midlands and and supported the Olympics in a fantastic way. The the charity is eager to do more. What support are the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Government giving to innovative charities such as Kids Faversham and Mid Kent (Hugh Robertson), has a Run Free, and how can we ensure that they get the committee that looks particularly at sport participation, resources they need so that we can build a long-lasting and the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Cabinet Olympic legacy? Committee, which I chair, is looking at how we can 1027 Oral Answers14 FEBRUARY 2013 Oral Answers 1028 make sure that that participation continues to grow 11. [143159] Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) over time in every part of the country. There are also (Lab): Last night a packed meeting here in Westminster local organisations dealing with this in the hon. Gentleman’s heard from the inspirational Claire Lomas and Martine part of the United Kingdom. Wright, both of whom have overcome severe disabilities to take part in their sports. They found their own Women’s Sport motivation, but there are many barriers to participation of women and girls in sport. What will the Secretary of 2. Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con): State do to encourage the 87% of women in Salford What support her Department is giving to women’s who are not participating to get interested in sport and sport. [143149] fitness activities? The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Maria Miller: The hon. Lady is absolutely right that (Maria Miller): The London 2012 games put women’s it is important that we reach out to women to help to sport on the map, and we are committed to maintaining increase participation even further. I have already cited that very important momentum. the dramatic impact that hosting the Olympics and Paralympics has had in raising participation among Rehman Chishti: Will the Minister join me in welcoming women. Some sports have had a particularly successful the news that Gillingham Anchorians rugby club, which track record in this area. Netball is one of the fastest is keen on increasing women’s membership, recently growing women’s sports in the country, with participation received £50,000 of national lottery funding? having increased from 110,000 in 2005 to 158,000 last year. There are also examples in cycling and hockey. Maria Miller: My hon. Friend is a very keen sportsman, There is some good success, but we need to make sure and I am not surprised that he raises the important role that it is echoed in other areas too. that women play in rugby. I applaud the work in his constituency to make sure that that is happening. He Broadband may be aware that as a result of the Olympics and the Paralympics over 600,000 more women have participated regularly in sport. We can see no finer example of the 3. Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con): What contribution of women in sport than the women’s six steps her Department is taking to improve broadband nations tournament, which is going on at the moment. I availability across the UK. [143150] am sure that every Member in this House will be supporting their home team. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): We are investing Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab): some £680 million in urban and rural broadband. Taking The Secretary of State is right about the achievements into the account local authority funding and private of women during the Olympics. The figures show that sector investment, more than £1 billion is going towards 36% of medals won at the Olympics were won by rolling out broadband. women, yet women get less than 1% of the sponsorship. Will she do something to try to redress that significant Alun Cairns: I pay tribute to the Minister and the imbalance? Government for prioritising the roll-out of broadband and for the significant sums of public money they have Maria Miller: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: committed to it. Openreach has been successful in many sponsorship can be crucial in not only increasing the of the contracts for extending broadband provision, but prominence of women’s sport but in enabling more its modelling can be inaccurate. Some of my constituents women to go to an even higher level within their sport. I have switched to fibre-to-the-cabinet, but they do not have been looking at this with people who are setting up get speeds anywhere near the original commitments.