§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how her Department measures participation rates in sport; and what information she collates on(a) an age related and (b) aregional basis. [14847]
§ Mr. CabornAdult (aged 16+) rates of sports participation are measured through the General Household Survey (GHS), a continuous survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics across Great Britain. Questions relating to sport are included on the survey once every three years, the last being 1996 and the next being due 2002 (in 1999, the GHS was not carried out).
Sport England has also measured participation rates for adults with disabilities (carried out in 2000–01) and for people from Black and Ethnic minority communities (carried out in 1999) through specially commissioned large-scale surveys using the same methodology and questions used in the GHS.
Ages of participants can be analysed in a variety of ways, as respondents are asked their actual age. Overall participation rates can also be reported at a regional level.
Participation by young people is measured in. Sport England's Survey of Young People which has now been carried out twice (1994 and 1999). The survey, which in 1999 was carried out by MORI on behalf of Sport England, is school based and involves a representative sample of around 4,000 young people aged six to 16 across England. This survey also enables analysis by age. Sport England has also undertaken a large scale survey of young people with disabilities using the same sports participation questions as in the wider 1999 survey (carried out in 2000).