Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covered Tennis Courts: Hartlepool

Thursday 22 May 2025 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jonathan Brash inquired about the lack of covered tennis courts in Hartlepool and the impact on local participation, particularly for individuals with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
  • Joe Robertson highlighted the previous Conservative Government's investment of 30 million in park tennis courts, including 2,500 courts in and around Hartlepool, in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association.
  • The Minister stated that future decisions on investment would be addressed in the spending review and expressed support for the Lawn Tennis Association's work.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Brash Lab Hartlepool
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The question stems from the lack of covered tennis facilities in Hartlepool, despite having an old and active tennis club that is over 138 years old. Poor weather conditions commonly affect participation, particularly for those with disabilities or long-term health issues.

Question

Hartlepool constituency does not have access to covered tennis courts which impedes participation due to common poor weather conditions, especially affecting those with disabilities and long-term health conditions. Top British players recently called on the UK Government to invest in a new national network of covered tennis courts, including Hartlepool. Will the Minister consider their request?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)

My hon. Friend is a passionate advocate for his constituency, and it is great to see the passion of the leading players. I wish them all success in their upcoming events, and I am personally very excited to see the return of women’s tennis to Queen’s—the Queen’s Club championships—after 50 years. All future decisions on facilities will be considered in the spending review, but I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific commitment or timeline for investing in covered tennis courts for Hartlepool.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Joe Robertson Con Isle of Wight East
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The previous Conservative Government invested £30 million into park tennis court infrastructure across the country, including Hartlepool.

Question

Together with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the previous Conservative Government invested £30 million in park tennis courts—2,500 of them all over the country, including in and around Hartlepool. That is to the benefit of local communities, so why are this Government not continuing that investment?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)

As I said, all future decisions are for the spending review. We are a very big supporter of the LTA’s work and are really pleased to see it, and would be happy to meet LTA to discuss it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide any specific commitment or timeline for continuing investment in park tennis court infrastructure similar to previous efforts.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)