Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Leisure Centres: Government Support

15 December 2022 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Charlotte Nichols Lab Warrington North

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Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Charlotte Nichols raised concerns about leisure centres: government support in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP raised concerns about financial pressures on leisure centres due to increased energy costs and austerity measures.
  • Minister acknowledged the importance of leisure centres for public health and social cohesion.
  • Government provided 100 million through the national leisure recovery fund during the pandemic and extended the energy bill relief scheme until March 2023.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Charlotte Nichols Lab Warrington North

The MP raised concerns about the financial pressures faced by leisure centres due to increased energy costs and other challenges. She highlighted that councils are major funders of sport and leisure services, but these facilities face significant cuts due to austerity measures and the recent pandemic. LiveWire, a community interest company in Warrington, is at risk of closure without financial support beyond March 2023. The MP emphasised the importance of leisure centres for public health and social cohesion, and called on the government to provide additional funding.

Other contributors (1)
  • Stuart Andrew Con Ruislip-Northwood

    The Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by local authorities in maintaining leisure facilities due to rising energy costs and other inflationary pressures.

Government Response

Nigel Evans

The Minister recognised the importance of public leisure centres for community health and social cohesion. He highlighted that during the pandemic, the Government provided £100 million in support through the national leisure recovery fund and continues to invest in sport and physical activity via Sport England. The energy bill relief scheme has been extended until March 2023 to limit costs for swimming pools and gyms. While no new financial announcements were made during this debate, the Minister committed to ongoing engagement with local authorities and sector partners to ensure continued support for essential services.

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