HC Deb 02 December 1981 vol 14 cc230-1
15. Mr. John Carlisle

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when next he intends to meet the chairman of the Sports Council.

Mr. Macfarlane

I have met the Sports Council chairman on five occasions, the most recent being on 30 November. I intend to meet him again on 9 December.

Mr. Carlisle

When my hon. Friend next meets the chairman, will he discuss with him the provision of sporting facilities for the unemployed? Does he agree that that service might go some way towards combating soccer hooliganism, thereby making England's trip to Spain next summer a little happier?

Mr. Macfarlane

The House may like to know that already the director general and chairman of the Sports Council have given fairly detailed consideration, as has the Central Council of Physical Recreation, to how they can help the unemployed; for example, by encouraging more motivators and initiators. From what I have seen so far in my travels to five of the regions, I am much impressed by the facilities that local leisure centres are providing for the unemployed. At present, it is pure speculation whether that will have a beneficial effect on how the 0.1 per cent. of our so-called soccer hooligans behave in Spain.

Mr. Denis Howell

Is the Minister aware that we entirely endorse the recommendations of the Soccer Council and the comments just made, that the greatest social stresses in our inner cities, particularly in multiracial communities, can be helped and assisted by leadership and recreation and sports facilities? To that end, will he immediately accept the Sports Council's indenture for £2 million to train leaders who would otherwise be unemployed?

Mr. Macfarlane

The right hon. Gentleman has made a series of important points that have embraced much of my dialogue with the chairman of the Sports Council in recent weeks. In addition to the Sports Council's activities, through the urban aid programme and other pump-priming activities, there have been many good examples of how this has been developed. In Merseyside we have introduced the pound-for-pound scheme, announced by my right hon. Friend a few months ago, which has also had a beneficial effect. These are some of the things that are now being embraced by the Sports Council, which is urgently preparing a strategy and role into the 1980s

Mr. Spriggs

Is the Minister aware that this is a problem for the local planning authorities that are building huge council housing estates with no sporting facilities? When he visits St. Helens, will he take special note of the New Street, Sutton, council estate, which I believe he is due to inspect? Will he find out why local authorities build hundreds of houses without accompanying outdoor or indoor sporting facilities? Is he aware that if they build indoor sporting facilities, the unemployed will be priced out in any event?

Mr. Macfarlane

I have no immediate plans to visit the hon. Gentleman's constituency, but I shall be visiting the North-West fairly frequently over the next few months. This is a question of partnership between the local authorities, the planning authorities, the Sports Council, the regional councils on sport and recreation and the voluntary sector. They must come together to try to put this right. The pound-for-pound scheme in the inner city of Merseyside is designed to deal with some of these problems.