DCMS Urgent Question - Children’s Sport, 30.09.20
This week, I took the opportunity to highlight the efforts of local authorities and community groups who are ensuring that sport, especially children’s sport is being reopened as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. During the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport urgent question, the relevant Minister Nigel Huddleston MP, said that he had been in contact with the Education Minister responsible for school sport, and that the government is putting measures in place to ensure children have the best opportunities to stay active at this time.
Full contribution:
David Simmonds CBE MP:
I would like to associate myself with the remarks about Wealdstone FC from my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman); it has many fans in my constituency also. Does my hon. Friend the Minister share my disappointment in the lack of leadership shown by the Mayor of London in getting Londoners back to sport—in particular, football—and does he welcome the efforts by many community organisations and local authorities in ensuring that sport, especially children’s sport, is being reopened, so people have the best opportunities to access that as we recover from covid?
Nigel Huddleston MP:
My hon. Friend raises a couple of important points. First, on children’s sport, I agree absolutely, and I had a good conversation with the Education Minister with responsibility for school sport the other day. We are absolutely committed to get school sport up and running, and leisure centres and grassroots sport play a vital role in getting our children active, so I agree exactly with his comments on that. Also, when people are not showing that they are sports fans, I, like him, am disappointed in their comments.
