Chess in Schools (Hansard, 28 October 2003)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)
My Lords, we are keen to explore innovative ways of raising levels of motivation and achievement among school pupils. For this reason, we have engaged the British Chess Federation to undertake a small project working with a wide spectrum of school types to explore ways in which this can be achieved within and outside the curriculum through the medium of chess. We will be expecting to learn from the project more about how chess raises achievement.

§ Lord Harrison
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Given that chess is a young person's sport, that it appeals to them because it is artistic, logical, sociable, vandal-free, and a clash of skills, wills and ideas, can she clarify for the House who is in charge of chess to ensure that such a promotion takes place across the whole gamut of government? Given that Britain has experienced much success in recent years on the chess board, does my noble friend share my sorrow that we were unable to send England's top team to the most recent European championships because of a lack of finance, and that England's and Britain's premier international tournament—the Hastings Open—suffers each year from a lack of the finance and funds that would ensure its continuation?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I am not sure who is in charge of chess. It certainly is not me; it certainly is not. and should not be, Her Majesty's Government. I would say it is in the hands of the British Chess Federation and, more importantly, chess players themselves.
136 On the important point my noble friend has raised about funding, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds the British Chess Federation directly. It is the only governing body in a recognised sport or other activity that receives money directly from the Exchequer. The funding was £60,000 in 2003–04. In addition, the funding chess has received from the lottery over the lifetime of the New Opportunities Fund is about £450,000. I cannot comment on the specifics of why we have been unable to send our chess players, as my noble friend has indicated; I merely point to the fact that funding has been available.

§ Baroness Massey of Darwen
My Lords, I suppose I should declare an interest as the mother of two boys who once played for the England under-10 championship.

Noble Lords
Oh!

§ Baroness Massey of Darwen
My Lords, I will pass on your Lordships' congratulations. In their school team, there were 11 boys and one girl. I wonder whether this initiative will encourage girls to take up chess.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I certainly hope that the project we are running with the British Chess Federation, which will ultimately involve eight schools, will encourage all children to participate in chess and see the benefits. I add my tribute to my noble friend's sons, who will probably be very embarrassed to read this in Hansard.

§ Baroness Sharp of Guildford
My Lords, does the Minister agree that all after-school activities, not just chess, are of benefit to children? Can she tell us what is happening to the funding of the Kids' Club Network, which has been funded by the New Opportunities Fund? I believe that new arrangements are being made, but I am not sure what is happening.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I am sure the noble Baroness meant to say all "appropriate" after-school activities. That was the interpretation I put on her phrase, although perhaps friends in other parts of your Lordships' House did not.
I agree wholeheartedly with the noble Baroness: after-school activities, particularly study support and opportunities to involve children and the community in what we describe as extended good, are critical to the development of educational standards and the support we offer our young people. I pay enormous tribute to Kids' Club Network and to Anne Longfield, who runs it. It has been hugely supportive of the Government's programme of after-school activities and hugely important to their delivery. We support it financially and will continue to do so.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, will the Minister say how much is being spent on the project referred to in her first Answer? What is the source of that funding? Will the noble Baroness further accept that every time 137 a national initiative is announced and a sum of money is made available for it, that means less money going into the classrooms in our schools?

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, the sum involved is £9,000.I think that the noble Baroness will agree with me that it is an appropriate sum of money to enable a project to be kick-started but not so big that its loss will be felt by schools. As a result of that project, we hope we will see a handbook showing how chess can be used to raise levels of motivation and achievement, a report on how the schools work together and guidance on using chess in the curriculum and on setting up out-of-school-hours chess clubs. I think that is real value for money.

§ Lord Davies of Coity
My Lords, many of us can appreciate in our own mind what the benefits would be from a government initiative on chess playing, but the Question asks what "benefits" the Government think, will be derived from this initiative". I do not think the Minister answered that Question, and I would be obliged if she did.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I thought that I answered the Question perfectly with my previous answer, when I talked about what the British Chess Federation would produce—specifically, a handbook showing how chess can be used to raise levels of motivation and achievement and how schools can work together. These things are very important in terms of children's development. We know, too, that studies in New York indicate that students learning chess have improved significantly in other curriculum subjects. We would be keen to see if that were the case here.

§ Lord Boston of Faversham
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that I was taught to play chess at the age of II—whilst evacuated—by my religious instruction master during periods of religious instruction? That blessing enabled me later, during national service, to win a very modest competition, as a result of which I now possess the station's chess set. Far from having affected my religious beliefs, I think, if anything, it probably enhanced them, and I have continued to offer thanks for that and the many other blessings I have received over the years.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, I feel very unqualified to respond to the noble Lord. Perhaps I might refer his remarks to one of the right reverend Prelates.

§ Lord Addington
My Lords, will the Minister confirm that chess is not and should not be regarded as a substitute for sporting activity in schools on any future occasion? It should be regarded as a game that should be integrated into the curriculum, not a substitute for any form of sporting activity.

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland
My Lords, under the 1937 Act, chess is not regarded as a sport, and there are 138 no indications that it should be. Schools regard it as a leisure activity, an opportunity for children to stretch their minds. It is critical, as the noble Lord, Lord Addington, knows, that we continue to push for 75 per cent of our students to have two hours of PE and sport in schools to enable them to have a healthy lifestyle. That deals with some of the issues affecting our children, particularly lifestyle and obesity, and ensures they get the fitness and fun they deserve.