§ 11. Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)If she will make a statement on the extent of tennis practice and tuition in maintained schools. [101465]
§ The Minister for Sport (Mr. Richard Caborn)We do not collect detailed data on particular sports in maintained schools. Schools choose the precise activities and sports that they offer their pupils. Tennis may be taught as part of the games element of national curriculum PE; games is one of six areas of activity within the national curriculum PE and is compulsory for all pupils aged between five and 14. Pupils aged from 14 to 16 must choose two of the six areas.
§ Mr. BercowFrankly, that answer literally oozes complacency. It is nearly 67 years since Britain had a men's singles champion at Wimbledon and nearly 26 years since Britain had a female singles champion at Wimbledon. Does the right hon. Gentleman not agree that the dearth of tennis practice and tuition in schools is a serious problem? What discussions has he had with his hon. and right hon. Friends in the Department for Education and Skills about it? To increase participation in tennis, does the Minister have any plans to play some demonstration games himself?
§ Mr. CabornThe hon. Gentleman ought to reflect on the last 18 years of the period that he describes, which were under his party's Administration. That was when the seeds of rot were sown. As the hon. Gentleman knows, since coming to power we have invested in sports colleges—of which we will be rolling out 400—and in 3,000 school sports co-ordinators. The Lawn Tennis Association has acknowledged and welcomed all of that. We have just given £9.3 million to the LTA to develop the club structure for tennis, along the lines of what we have done with football, rugby and other sports. We are having to clear up 18 years of mismanagement in sport and we are doing so very successfully indeed. If ever we go out of office, we will have champions—unlike Conservative Members, who undermined our champions.