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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if She will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of increasing funding for grassroots football on costs to (a) the NHS and (b) local authorities.

The Government’s NHS 10 Year Health Plan recognises the importance of physical activity in tackling the nation’s health and relieving NHS pressures. The latest evidence provided by Sport England shows that physical activity directly prevents 3.2 million cases of long term health conditions per year, including 1.3 million cases of depression and 600,000 cases of diabetes, equating to over £10 billion worth of healthcare savings each year.

The FA’s Social Return on Investment 2024 report estimates the 15.7 million participants involved in grassroots football contribute £11.8 billion to society in direct economic value, as well as over £3.2 billion in savings to the NHS through prevention of diseases.