HC Deb 08 December 1997 vol 302 cc653-5
5. Mr. Bill Michie

What plans he has to provide assistance for British athletes in respect of their training programmes. [17979]

Mr. Banks

We are committed to improving the quality of training for our athletes. In particular, the United Kingdom Sports Institute will provide our athletes with the finest training facilities possible and the English Sports Council's world class performance programme provides lottery support to our best athletes.

Mr. Michie

I welcome the statement and thank my hon. Friend. It is spreading the opportunities for athletes throughout the UK. The United Kingdom Sports Institute is a good idea. I am sure that it will be successful, and the icing on the cake to make sure that everyone knows that it will be successful is for its headquarters to finish up in Sheffield.

Mr. Banks

My hon. Friend is always keen to push the welfare of his constituency and his city. It is, indeed, a fine city of sport. However, we shall have to wait just a little longer. There will be presentations on 16 December from the three short-listed bidders—Sheffield, Upper Heyford and the Central Consortium. Now that we have put some flesh on the bones of the old British Academy of Sport, I think that we shall be able to make progress with some speed. However, we must get the decision right—I have made that point before. We do not want to rush into it and make mistakes. We shall make the announcement fairly shortly after 16 December, and I can tell my hon. Friend that, as ever, Sheffield is in there with a very good chance.

Mrs. May

Is the Minister aware of the difficulties in recent months in getting funding for disabled athletes to train for the Paralympics in Sydney 2000? Those difficulties have occurred because of long delays in getting promised lottery funds distributed to the various disabled sports associations. For example, difficulties were suffered by the Windsor and Maidenhead sports association for the disabled, which is in my constituency and of which I am a member. Is the Minister aware of those difficulties? What is he doing to investigate them and to ensure that promised funds are distributed so that our disabled athletes can train properly in preparation for the Sydney 2000 Paralympics?

Mr. Banks

I am acutely aware of the problems. On several occasions in the House, I have paid tribute to our Paralympic team. We have some of the finest disabled athletes in the world and I want this country to glory in their achievements because they do wonders for this country and for their sports.

I have been talking to the English Sports Council. There have been some problems. I am satisfied that we have eliminated most of them, but I assure the hon. Lady that we shall not allow our paralympians to go to the games without full and adequate support. If the hon. Lady wants any additional information, or if she encounters any problems, she should please let me know, and I will do my best to eliminate them.

Mr. Alan Keen

I am sure that my hon. Friend the Minister will give his full support to the two British teams in the World cup in France next year, and look out for the rights of supporters travelling from the United Kingdom to France. The taxi driver who drove me home from the BBC studios yesterday said that he and his friends were organising trips to Europe and that they were supporting Jamaica, so there will be citizens of this country traveling from this country and supporting other sides as well. Will the Minister bear in mind that we must look after their rights, too?

Mr. Banks

We have a great deal of interest in the world cup next year, not only with Scotland and England, but also with Jamaica. Given the United Nations aspect of the premier league, it is fascinating to see that virtually every world cup competitor will have a British league player, which again gives us an abiding interest.

There are some problems associated with the allocation of tickets, and Ministers are considering those problems carefully. The one message that we want to send from the House today—I am sure that Conservative Members will join me in this—is that no one without a ticket should attempt to travel to the world cup finals in France next year.