Women and Girls in Sport 2024-05-23
2024-05-23
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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The MP raised concerns about the need for specific steps to support women's and girls' participation in sports.
What steps she is taking to support the participation of women and girls in sport. I am concerned about ensuring that women and girls have equal opportunities and access to sports programmes and initiatives.
We have a number of individual initiatives to support the participation of women and girls in sport. The national physical activity taskforce is working across Government to ensure that women and girls get more active. We have established the Board of Women's Sport to identify challenges and opportunities across women's sport, and we are fully supporting Karen Carney's recommendations to lift standards and deliver sustainable growth for women's football.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific timeline or figures were provided despite being requested.
Response accuracy
Q2
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The MP highlighted the Walsall Football Club Foundation's Let Girls Play programme, which aims to encourage more girls into grassroots sport.
Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that programmes like Let Girls Play are exactly what is needed to increase participation in grassroots sports for girls? I would also like her to join me in congratulating the boys team at Cooper and Jordan School on their recent win at Wembley.
I am delighted to congratulate the boys team, and to commend all the work done in local schools to encourage girls to get more involved in sport. That is why the Government are committed to equal access to physical education and sport in schools, so that girls are able to participate in whatever sport they like. And it is why the Department for Education has published guidance on how to deliver a minimum of two hours a week of quality PE, alongside over £600 million of funding for primary PE and sport through the sport premium.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific timeline or figures were provided despite being requested.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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The MP commended the motorsport sector's initiatives to encourage women and girls into the sport, highlighting specific examples such as Susie Wolff's F1 academy and Motorsport UK's Girls on Track scheme.
Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that motorsport shows the way for other sports to follow? The sector is discovering British talent like Abbi Pulling who has won races in both Miami and the UK, demonstrating the importance of engineering and design roles as well.
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend on the huge value of motorsport. I congratulate motorsport on its Girls on Track scheme, which is getting more girls and women into sport. I highlight and re-emphasise his point that motorsport is not just about the sport itself; it is a huge powerhouse for research and development that builds and supports innovation.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific timeline or figures were provided despite being requested.
Response accuracy
Q4
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The MP paid tribute to cross-party efforts in promoting women's and girls' sport, referencing her own involvement with Llanelli Scarlets.
Will the Secretary of State join me in celebrating the activity of girls and women in sport? I will continue to work across parties to ensure that the rights of all women and girls are upheld in sport. Whichever party is next in government, we must maintain our commitment to equality in sports participation.
I could not agree more. We do quite a lot of important cross-party work in this House. One of the things I have been most proud to be involved with in this role is supporting the women's football team and women in sport. It was phenomenal to go to Australia to see the women's team almost win the World cup, and it has been phenomenal to see the work that the Lionesses and former Lionesses have done to spotlight that.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific timeline or figures were provided despite being requested.
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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The MP noted the widening gender activity gap in team sport, with 22% fewer girls than boys taking part. She questioned whether Labour would be better positioned to address this issue.
On her watch the gender activity gap is wider than ever: 22% fewer girls than boys take part in team sports. Will it only be under a Labour government that women and girls will have equal access to sport? We believe we are the party of equality, committed to ensuring all women and girls have fair opportunities.
I absolutely disagree with that statement, of course, because for a number of years now the Conservative Government have been supporting women and girls to get into sport, with a significant campaign to get more women and girls into sport, and the cross-departmental work with the Department for Education to ensure that young girls have equal access to sport in school. In fact, year on year, we have seen those numbers on participation in sport improve, and we also set up the national physical activity taskforce with the specific aim of getting 1 million more women involved in activity.
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Assessment & feedback
No specific timeline or figures were provided despite being requested.
Response accuracy