Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that every child can engage in community sports.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have the best opportunities to engage in sport and physical activity.

Throughout the pandemic we provided an unprecedented £1 billion of financial support to ensure the survival of the sport and leisure sector. To tackle inequalities and support those most impacted by the restrictions, Sport England have launched a new £20 million Together Fund that builds on the work of their £20 million Tackling Inequalities Fund to help people stay active and provide guidance on how to find accessible activities. Initiatives such as the Studio You video platform, funded by Sport England and powered by This Girl Can, are also encouraging more teenage girls to be active. Sport England’s recently launched Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces their commitment to tackling inequalities faced in sport by underrepresented groups.

A key driver of the government’s School Sport and Activity Action Plan is to ensure that all children and young people have access to at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. This is supported by £320 million per year through the PE and sport premium.