Grassroots Sports Facilities 2025-10-16
2025-10-16
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the lack of floodlights at astroturf facilities in St Austell, preventing use after dark.
Access to sport is vital for not only our public health but fostering a sense of community and reducing antisocial behaviour. Yet in St Austell, many of the astroturf facilities such as the great one at Penrice school cannot be used after dark because they lack floodlights. Will the Minister look at how small-scale investments of this kind in vital community facilities could help unlock all-year-round access to physical activity for people of all ages?
I thank my hon. Friend for being an outstanding champion for sport in his community. I would encourage Penrice school and others who have similar challenges to approach the Football Foundation through which we fund floodlights and other small-scale investments. Previous funding allocations have been far too prescriptive, but we believe communities know best what they need, and through the Football Foundation, we are determined to deliver it.
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Q2
Partial Answer
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The MP raised concerns about deaf elite sports group having no access to Government or UK Sport funding, despite participating in long-standing competitions like the Deaflympics.
Earlier this week, the Committee heard from Henry Hughes and Nathan Young, two brilliant swimmers who are travelling to Tokyo next month to represent Britain as part of the Deaflympics. The competition has been running for over 100 years—longer than the Paralympics in fact—but deaf athletes are the only disabled elite sports group who have no access to either Government or UK Sport funding. Will the Secretary of State join me in wishing all our deaf Olympians the very best of luck in Tokyo next month? Will she also agree to meet them on their return with UK Deaf Sport to discuss how this terrible situation can be improved and how they can be supported much better in the future?
I thank the hon. Member as always for raising an issue that has been raised with both me and the Minister for Sport. We are working with UK Sport to try to resolve it. Of course we will be cheering our athletes on in Tokyo—I am really looking forward to that—but we know that those opportunities are not available to all. I would be happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss this further.
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Q3
Partial Answer
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The MP inquired about the government's plans to support women's sports after historic successes, and raised concerns about proposed racing tax affecting sponsorship of UK sports.
This has been an incredible year for women’s sport with both the Lionesses and the Red Roses inspiring a generation with their fantastic performances and historic successes on the pitch. The previous Conservative Government worked in partnership alongside the national lottery, Sport England and various national bodies to help support these incredible athletes with investment in grassroots facilities including the £30 million Lionesses fund which directly increased opportunities for women’s and girls’ sports. Beyond the sentiments that the Secretary of State has already expressed today, will she confirm whether her Government will support a new Lionesses and Red Roses fund specifically for women’s sports? Will she also confirm that fairness and safety will remain the key pillars of guidance for female sports?
The Secretary of State will be aware that alongside investment from Government and national sports bodies voluntary donations and corporate sponsorship play a key role in funding our grassroots and professional sports clubs and leagues. For example Flutter’s Cash4Clubs programme has invested £7 million in grassroots clubs since 2008. Does the Minister therefore share my concern that the Chancellor’s proposed racing tax will not only see thousands of British jobs lost across the country but damage key sponsorship of a number of UK sports especially British horseracing? Will she confirm that her Department has made it clear to the Treasury that it opposes this tax raid on our British sport?
The Secretary of State will be aware that alongside investment from Government and national sports bodies voluntary donations and corporate sponsorship play a key role in funding our grassroots and professional sports clubs and leagues. For example Flutter’s Cash4Clubs programme has invested £7 million in grassroots clubs since 2008. Does the Minister therefore share my concern that the Chancellor’s proposed racing tax will not only see thousands of British jobs lost across the country but damage key sponsorship of a number of UK sports especially British horseracing? Will she confirm that her Department has made it clear to the Treasury that it opposes this tax raid on our British sport?
It was a real pleasure with the Prime Minister to meet the Lionesses before they went off and then on to victory in the Euros. We have been working closely with rugby football and other areas of women’s sport to advance this issue. The £400 million investment that I referenced in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for St Austell and Newquay (Noah Law) will double the number of places across the board, which will mean a significant increase in the number of women and girls able to access sports. My hon. Friend the Minister for Sport was pleased to launch the women’s sport taskforce which will really grip this issue. I am happy to work cross-party on that; it is something that the whole House should be able to get behind and support.
I absolutely recognise the point about fairness and safety, and I have had representations and conversations with many women athletes and competitors since taking office. Of course we want to be as inclusive as possible in the approach that we take but we recognise that fairness and safety really matter, and we have been supporting the sporting bodies in dealing with that. It is a matter for them but we stand ready to support.
In relation to the issues that the hon. Member raised about gambling we believe that the gambling industry is an important part of the UK economy. We know that it brings joy to millions of people. Of course future proposals on taxation are matters for the Treasury but I can reassure him that we regularly engage with the Treasury to ensure not just that the voice of stakeholders is heard but that we avoid any unintended consequences of tax reform.
I absolutely recognise the point about fairness and safety, and I have had representations and conversations with many women athletes and competitors since taking office. Of course we want to be as inclusive as possible in the approach that we take but we recognise that fairness and safety really matter, and we have been supporting the sporting bodies in dealing with that. It is a matter for them but we stand ready to support.
In relation to the issues that the hon. Member raised about gambling we believe that the gambling industry is an important part of the UK economy. We know that it brings joy to millions of people. Of course future proposals on taxation are matters for the Treasury but I can reassure him that we regularly engage with the Treasury to ensure not just that the voice of stakeholders is heard but that we avoid any unintended consequences of tax reform.
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