Sports Facilities (Hansard, 20 July 1988)

§ 11. Mr. Fatchett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each year since 1974 the annual amount of capital spending on sports facilities by (a) English local authorities, and (b) the Sports Council; and if he will give his estimate of private sector spending.

§ Mr. Moynihan
Over the period since 1974 the figures for English local authorities on an annual basis in millions of pounds are as follows: 84.2; 87.5; 74.8; 64.7; 48.4; 71.6; 100.7; 89.7; 122.5; 122.2; 191; 143.4 and 166. For the Sports Council, the figures are: 2.7; 3.4; 4.4; 4.4; 4; 7; 6.4; 7.3; 8.5; 13; 11.4; 9.5; 9.8 and 13.4.
As the hon. Gentleman will have calculated, the figures show a real terms increase in capital expenditure by English local authorities of 38.7 per cent. between 1979–80 and 1986–87 and a real terms increase of 25.7 per cent. by the Sports Council in the same period. Comparable figures are not available for private sector spending. Private sector sponsorship of sport has risen from £60 million in 1980–81 to an estimate of £200 million this year.

§ Mr. Fatchett
I am grateful to the Minister for that answer, which he read with great feeling and understanding. May I suggest that those figures show that the public sector has invested in sport and recreation, and that it is because of the public sector that people in my constituency are able to use leisure centres, sports facilities and swimming pools? His lack of figures and his embarrassment about them show that the private sector has not invested. He and his ministerial colleagues now want to take the rich pickings from the public sector, together with the public sector's care and investment, and give those to the private sector so that it can make the profit and the public will lose as a result.

§ Mr. Moynihan
There is hardly a lack of figures, but the hon. Gentleman did not listen. If he had listened, he would have heard me say that private sector spending on the sponsorship of sport has risen from £60 million to £200 million over a period of eight years.

§ Mr. Tracey
My hon. Friend will be aware that, from the end of this month, because of gross mismanagement, the Inner London education authority will be mothballing 250 acres of sports grounds, preventing the young people of London playing sport there. Will he use his best endeavours to ensure that ILEA will work with the local authorities, the Sports Council and the governing bodies of sport to keep those grounds open?

§ Mr. Moynihan
With my full support, an enormous amount of work is now going on with the local authorities and community-based organisations to achieve management arrangements for all the sites. Since the Sports Council entered the scene, it is now optimistic that it will shortly be possible to settle management arrangements for 10 of the sites and negotiations are continuing in respect of the other two. I am sure that my hon. Friend will celebrate that news.

§ Mr. Cryer
Does the Minister accept that an increase in advertising at sports events by cigarette companies is no substitute for investment by the public sector? Does he accept that his figures show that the public sector, local authorities and the Sports Council have invested heavily in sports facilities that are open to all and that, through privatisation, he is handing over the rich pickings to the private sector so that it can come along and make a profit out of sport? [Interruption.] Conservative Members find the exploitation of profit-making out of sport and the barring of people on low incomes very amusing, but it is a matter of great concern to us.

§ Mr. Moynihan
Of course I recognise that both the Sports Council and local authorities have invested in ensuring that we promote sport-for-all policies. I welcome that, but it is wrong of the hon. Gentleman not to give full credit to the substantial amount of private sector involvement in sport and recreation, which is much to be celebrated.

§ Mr. Heffer
Where?

§ Mr. Moynihan
The hon. Gentleman asks, "Where?". He should look at the answer in Hansard.

§ Mr. Harry Greenway
Is my hon. Friend aware that in some areas only one primary school in eight is teaching cricket, that the rest of the public sector is not picking up that problem and that we shall not win Test matches until something is done about that? Will he initiate a national scheme of coaching in the public sector, working together with the private sector, to do something about that, for the sake of the boys and girls of this country?

§ Mr. Moynihan
I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that the Kwik Cricket development has helped considerably, not least with regard to inner city projects, and that the initiative being taken by the Test and County Cricket Board and the Sports Council is much to be welcomed.