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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase the number of people from BME backgrounds taking part in sport.

We know from Sport England’s Active People survey results that the number of people from BME backgrounds taking part in sport in England has fallen recently. However, Sport England are investing £2 million in Sporting Equals, which exists to promote ethnic diversity in sport and physical activity, between 2013 and 2017 to help get more people from BME communities involved in sport and physical activity.

Over the last year the government’s strategy for sport and physical activity ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ has been published as well as Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’. The aim of both strategies is to create a more physically active nation, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the benefits that sport and physical activity can provide, at every stage in their lives.