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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Sport England on supporting the expansion of local sporting facilities.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to sport and leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities across the country.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. As outlined in my answer to PQ 96846, the Secretary of State met with Sport England’s Chair and CEO in October to discuss priorities and plans moving forward, including how the organisation can best deliver and measure impact for the investment they make in sport and physical activity.

In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working with sporting bodies, including Sport England, and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.