§ Caroline FlintTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals he has for increasing the number of qualified sports coaches working with schools. [142059]
§ Kate HoeyMany of our proposals are directed towards increasing the number of qualified coaches working with schools.
The school sports co-ordinator scheme will provide 1,000 co-ordinators in secondary schools by 2004. Most of the co-ordinators will be based in secondary schools and linked to specialist sports colleges, of which there are now 83 designated across 58 different local eduction authorities. The sports colleges draw on the coaching expertise of local sports clubs and are developing excellent facilities across a range of sports, and, through their partnerships with local primary schools and community groups, are giving many children the opportunity to gain a head start in sport.
Alongside the co-ordinators scheme, we recognise the need to invest in volunteer training to increase the links between schools and elite sports. That is why we have set aside £4 million from our spending review settlement to invest in two levels of volunteer training and support from 2002. We will underpin the training and support for young people aged 14 to 19 to develop leadership skills in sport and in their local communities where they can act as role models for younger children and perhaps prepare themselves for careers in sport. We will be working closely with NGBs to develop volunteer strategies to encourage and support more adults to get involved as leaders, coaches, officials and administrators.
The Sport Strategy Implementation Group has been looking at ways to increase the number of qualified sports coaches working with schools, and once the recommendations have been presented to Ministers on 13 December, the implementation process will proceed.