Swimming (Hansard, 27 March 2000)

§ 2. Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)
What steps he is taking to encourage greater participation in swimming throughout the country. [114852]

§ The Minister for Sport (Kate Hoey)
The Government attach great importance to swimming. It is a fun and healthy sport in which youngsters can aspire to excellence. Swimming is a statutory part of the primary national curriculum, giving all young people the opportunity to participate.

§ Mr. Evans
I am grateful to the Minister for that response. Will she come to the Ribble valley and take a swimming lesson with me—she could even give me a swimming lesson—and youngsters from local schools? I promise not to leave her languishing in the deep end. That happened to too many parents in the Ribble valley when the county council cut the money for swimming provision, which meant that parents had to pay. That in turn resulted in a halving of the number of swimming lessons. The county council is offering more money this year, but it is still a real-terms cut on two years ago. Will the Minister use her influence with her colleagues at the Department for Education and Employment to ensure that all our youngsters throughout the country have free access to swimming lessons and that no child will be denied those life-saving skills simply because their parents cannot afford to pay?

§ Kate Hoey
I remind the hon. Gentleman that we have already swum together in Botswana. I thank him for his question and for his commitment to swimming, which I share. It is important that youngsters get that opportunity at an early age and that swimming should be a compulsory part of the curriculum. Local authorities must bear that in mind when considering how to use their facilities.

§ Mr. Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath)
Does the Minister recognise that there are grave problems with the number of primary school pupils who are not getting the amount of swimming that they need? In particular, will she comment on the fact that Labour-controlled Walsall council has engendered a funding crisis, resulting in swimming pools being closed? Will she ensure that school children and other swimmers in Walsall are properly provided for? Will she reinforce her concerns about the need for all primary school pupils to have proper swimming lessons?

§ Kate Hoey
As a result of the concern throughout the country that not all primary school children were getting their full entitlement to swimming, my Department and the Department for Education and Employment asked Ofsted to investigate the issue. That is now happening. I do not know the details of the situation in Walsall, but I shall make a point of finding out. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman if I think it necessary.

§ Mr. Andrew Reed (Loughborough)
Will my hon. Friend recognise Loughborough's contribution to this country's excellent swimming reputation? It is the home of the Amateur Swimming Association and its outspoken spokesperson, David Sparkes. We need integration between primary schools, medium-term facilities and the excellent facilities that will be required as part of the UK sports institute. Will my hon. Friend ensure that Loughborough's swimming pool is built as soon as possible, to ensure such integration?

§ Kate Hoey
My hon. Friend is quite right. Loughborough has been chosen as one of the sites for 4 a new 50 m pool. Sport England has given its support in principle, and I hope that the first ground work will be done soon. He mentioned David Sparkes, the chief executive of the Amateur Swimming Association. He is a forthright person who has stood up for his sport, and he has done an enormous amount to make sure that sport is available not just to our highly talented swimmers, but to all. He has done an enormous amount of work on the swimming for life campaign too, and I pay tribute to him.