Sports Council (Hansard, 22 January 1986)

§ 7. Mr. Pendry
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Sports Council to discuss the future development of sports funded by the council.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Richard Tracey)
I meet regularly the chairman of the Sports Council to discuss issues relating to the development of sports. We last met one week ago.

§ Mr. Pendry
When the Minister next meets the chairman of the Sports Council, will he discuss the considerable financial loss to sport when the Greater London council and metropolitan counties are abolished? How will he attempt to explain to the chairman how the miserly £5 million grant from the Government to the Sports Council can meet the requirements of sporting projects currently financed by those authorities, especially when the Sports Council estimates a shortfall of £8 million, plus 23 staff, and the Central Council of Physical Recreation estimates a shortfall of as much as £30 million?

§ Mr. Tracey
The hon. Gentleman and the House will be aware that recently the Sports Council grant was increased to £37 million from £30.6 million, which is the biggest increase that has ever been given to the Sports Council. It represents an increase of 150 per cent. since the Government came into power. The money that the Sports Council holds is in its hands to disburse. I remind the hon. Gentleman that district and borough councils make the greatest contribution to sport, not the Sports Council.

§ Mr. John Carlisle
When my hon. Friend next meets the chairman of the Sports Council, will he make it clear that the visit to South Africa by 12 women cricketers on holiday was in no way on the instruction of the Women's Cricket Association, so the Women's Cricket Association was wrong to ban—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman will see that the question is about sports funded by the Sports Council.

§ Mr. Carlisle
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The threat that is now being made, that the Sports Council's grant may be withdrawn from the Women's Cricket Association because of that visit is spurious and should not have been made, because the grant will still go ahead despite the

§ Mr. Tracey
My hon. Friend said that the ladies were in South Africa on holiday. If they happen to play cricket while they are there I have no control over that, nor does the Sports Council. The Government entirely support the Gleneagles agreement and all governing bodies are well aware of that.

§ Mr. Evans
Is the Minister aware of the growing anger of Members of Parliament from rugby league playing areas about the attitude of the rugby union authorities to amateur rugby league players? Will he make it clear to the chairman of the Sports Council that no further taxpayers' money will be made available to the rugby union authorities unless they drop the particularly obnoxious form of apartheid that they practice?

§ Mr. Tracey
The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to hear that the Sports Council is doing all it can to bring about conciliation between the British Amateur Rugby League Association and the Rugby Football Union. I have no locus in the matter. It is entirely a matter for the Sports Council, as it is also entirely a matter for the Sports Council as to how it distributes its funds.

§ Sir Paul Hawkins
Rather than pay an increased grant to the Sports Council, would it not be better to give that money to the shire counties and let them spend it on what they wish?

§ Mr. Tracey
The money that local authorities get for sports purposes is included within the local environmental services grant. Expenditure on sport and recreation in local authorities is running at over £700 million a year. The Sports Council grant is for specific purposes. I have no hesitation in saying that both the Sports Council and local authorities are disbursing their funds correctly.

§ Mr. Merlyn Rees
So that the Sports Council may be clear about how it is to spend the extra money, will the Minister confirm that the Government regard the British Amateur Rugby League Association—many young men in my constituency play that game—as a bona fide amateur organisation?

§ Mr. Tracey
I am sure that the British Amateur Rugby League Association is an amateur body.

§ Mr. Tony Banks
Like the Government Front Bench.