HL Deb 26 July 1962 vol 242 cc1119-21

3.15 p.m.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are now in a position to announce their long-delayed decision on the establishment of a Sports Development Council and, if not, when they will be able to do so.]

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I hope it will be possible to make a statement on this matter very soon after the House resumes after the Recess.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, I would pay the noble Earl the compliment of hoping that he is as dissatisfied as I am with that reply. Might I ask him whether he does not agree that this really is procrastination at its worst? And while I appreciate that a lot might have been lost at Admiralty House last weekend, a lot of other things happened before that. Might I ask him whether he realises that it is not only the House which wants to know this decision but the sporting organisations, who have been most disappointed? Does he further realise that it is quite obvious, although the Government have not said it, that no help whatsoever is going to be given to sporting organisations this summer.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I appreciate the points which the noble Lady has made; but as she herself has pointed out, a good deal of water has flowed under the Treasury bridges in the last week or so. But, in all seriousness, I do not feel that her supplementary question quite takes due recognition of the increased allowances, the increased starts for sports expenditure or expenditure on sporting activities, which were announced by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer on May 8. Total starts this year on public projects for sport and recreation will, I gather, total £27 million.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

Might I put one final question? I will not take that up with the Minister now, but leave it for the next Session. Might I ask him, seeing we are all in this mood and nobody wishes any discourtesy to me, whether he would tell me when to put down a Question so that the announcement on the Sports Development Council may be made in answer to that Question when we reassemble?

EARL JELLICOE

I will undertake to do so and endeavour to see that there is no slip.

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGH

My Lords, what I cannot quite understand is why we have had no explanation at all of the reason for this long delay.

EARL JELLICOE

My Lords, I think the reason for this delay is the very great number of weighty considerations involved here.